It’s that time of year again when the Santee Santas spread holiday cheer to families and seniors in need. This all volunteer organization works together to deliver the holiday spirit throughout the Santee Community and Valley Box is proud to be apart of this foundations efforts!
“Valley Box has been donating to the Santee Santas since 2003 and we will continue to donate hundreds of boxes for this caring, giving organization,” states Bob Eschwege, President at Valley Box. He continues, "In the beginning they only needed a couple hundred boxes and each year the need grows. To me this means they're not only successful in their endeavor, but also the needs of our neighbors has grown as well."
This year Valley Box has donated over 2,100 cardboard boxes for the collection and distribution efforts to bring the Spirit of the Holidays to the members of the Santee community.
Mr. Eschwege says, "The folks that volunteer are tried and true and love our small community. The thing about this donation from Valley Box is that it directly impacts our local city and its people in need right here."
About the Santee Santas
The Santee Santas Foundation is a local, nonprofit 501 (C) (3) all-volunteer organization providing help to members of our community living within the Santee School District and in need of assistance.
They raise donations in the community and shops primarily within the community. The organization maintains minimal administrative costs and impressively 98% of every dollar goes directly to helping those in need.
Santee Santas’ signature effort is an annual holiday children’s toy and food drive focused on bringing the Christmas spirit to some 300 families in our community. Additionally, their senior outreach program ensures seniors in our community, who are living alone or in senior care facilities, are not forgotten over the holidays.
Current programs
Food & Toy Drive
Each year the food and toy drive begins with the local elementary and high schools. To collect food and toys, volunteers depend upon the generous support of local businesses, nonprofit organizations and volunteers. Food and toys are sorted and toys are wrapped. All of this is then boxed in preparation for delivery to hundreds of Santee families just in time to spread Christmas cheer to some of those most in need of it.
In 2017 Santee Santas provided assistance to 218 families,
which included 97 seniors and 415 children for a total of 822 people!
Senior Outreach
The Santee Santas Foundation Senior Outreach Program focuses on senior citizens living in care facilities, mobile home parks and senior apartment complexes in the City of Santee. This program reaches out to senior citizens at Christmas to ensure they are not forgotten during the holidays and during the summer months with a food giveaway program.
Each year, some 150 floral arrangements are delivered to seniors living in mobile homes
and over 100 stuffed animals delivered to patients in the Stanford Court Nursing Home.
For more information
Call 619-258-5947 or visit https://www.santeesantas.org
Want to volunteer? Visit www.santeesantas.org and click on the volunteer tab.
