On May 9, 2026, the Rotary Club of Santee Lakeside joined forces with the U.S. Postal Service for the annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive — and what unfolded was a powerful reminder of what a community can accomplish when everyone pulls in the same direction.
From the moment the first postal trucks rolled back into the Santee Post Office, Rotarians were ready. As each truck returned from its delivery route, club members jumped into action, unloading bag after bag of donated nonperishable food. Bins filled quickly, carts grew heavy, and muscles were put to the test as volunteers pushed fully loaded carts up the ramp and into a 16 foot rental truck waiting to transport the donations.
Trip after trip, the rhythm continued — from post office to food bank, from food bank back to the post office — a steady flow of generosity moving through the hands of people determined to make a difference. At the Santee Food Bank, volunteers were standing by to unload, sort, and prepare the donations for storage in the warehouse housed on a local church campus. Every can, every box, every bag represented a neighbor helping a neighbor.
By the end of the day, tired arms and dusty shoes couldn’t hide the smiles. The community of Santee had donated an extraordinary 19,760 pounds of food — nearly ten tons of support for families facing food insecurity.
What made the day truly remarkable was the chain of compassion that made it possible: residents who gave generously, postal workers who collected every donation, Rotarians who moved mountains of food, and the Santee Food Bank team who will ensure it reaches those who need it most.
It was community helping community in the purest sense — a circle of care that begins and ends with kindness.
