Santee Food Bank Celebrates 30 Years of Feeding Locals in Need

"There are people that are hungry that need to be fed," said Pastor Duane Flewelling. 

And the crowd said Amen.

That statement summed up the mission of the Santee Food Bank (SFB), an organization that honored many volunteers at their 30th anniversary celebration last week, some of which have been with the food bank since the beginning.

Now located at Newbreak Church (8824 Cottonwood Ave.), the food bank was established in 1983 in order to provide emergency food assistance to residents of Santee. 

In 2012 the SFB served 7,127 families and volunteer hours totaled 14,625. Of the 1,822 people helped by the food bank last month, 59 were homeless.

The SFB held a program thanking the City of Santee, local businesses, organizations, and volunteers for supporting residents of Santee in need. SFB is a volunteer organization without paid positions and are sponsored by the Santee Ministerial Council. 

The SFB had some of their clients write on the back of paper plates how they feel about the food bank. One reads: "It helps so I can eat a little. It is very needed for some people in order to make their budgets once they're retired."

The number of locals that need the food bank's help is on the rise, with an average of 593 families served each month last year increasing to 687 families a month for the first half of 2013.

The Stamp Out Hunger US Post Office food drive gathered about 14,000 pounds of food that was given to the SFB, and they say they'll go through that much food in about three months.

One of the most celebrated volunteers of the evening was Lisa Hopewell, she was honored by being presented a City of Santee proclamation naming June 28, 2013, as Lisa Hopewell Day in town. She spent more than ten years as admistrator or administrative assistant of the SFB, and acted as project manager for the relocation of the food bank to Newbreak Church in 2008.

The food bank has established a 30th Anniversary Fund apart from their food fund with a goal of raising $30,000 to upgrade aging refrigeration and other appliances with energy efficient models, so more money can go to food, and less to electricity.

Another goal of the fund is to start work on moving to a larger space that would include the creation of a Senior Center. According to the SFB, half the population of Santee is over 55, and they want to offer a place for seniors to get meals and have social time.

"We built a marvelous sports complex for our youth and families [Sportsplex], and we want to do a similar thing for our seniors," said Reverend Sandy Olewine, the Santee Ministerial Council President.

The SFB is already ten percent of the way to that $30,000 goal.

Click here to donate time, food or money to the Santee Food Bank