Post Office and Rotary Link Up to Stamp Out Hunger

For over a decade the Santee-Lakeside Rotary Club has partnered with the United States Post Office in Santee to help with their annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive.  This year's 25th anniversary drive was no exception.  As postal carriers return from their routes loaded with food items donated by the Santee community, Rotarians unload, placed items in mail bins and weighed each before loading them on a semi truck to take to the Santee Food Bank.  Rotarians were also stationed at the food bank where they, along with members of the Church of Latter Day Saints, helped unload and sort food items into food bins.  Despite the fact the Santee Food Bank is in transition, moving from a temporary location to its new home situated on the property of the Lutheran Church, they were able to accommodate the donated food items, which at one time reached near the ceiling.  Rotarians were extremely excited to learn that this year's effort netted over 19,290 pounds of non-perishable food items.  The food bank will complete its move over the Memorial Day weekend.

 

In addition to helping with Stamp Out Hunger each year, the Santee-Lakeside Rotary Club has in the past purchased freezers and a large refrigerated storage container to help with the food bank being able to distributed dairy items, fresh fruits  and packaged meats.  Rotarian, Vic Bermudes, a retired architect and food bank board member also donated his time to help with architecture plans for the new location.