We are an all volunteer, non-profit organization bringing comfort and joy to Santee residents by providing food and gifts during the holiday season.
About Santee Santas Foundation
The Santee Santas Foundation is a local non-profit 501(c)(3) registered organization, providing help to members of our community living within the Santee School District boundaries and in need of assistance.
Santee Santas’ signature effort is an annual holiday children’s toy and food drive focused on bringing the Christmas spirit to as many as 150-200 families in our community. Our senior outreach program ensures qualifying seniors in our community who are living alone or in senior care facilities are not forgotten over the holidays. Our volunteers serve the Santee community throughout the year, and have done so since 1953!
Our programs
Food and Toy Drives
The signature effort of the Santee Santas Foundation is an Annual Holiday Food and Children’s Toy Distribution.
Each year the local Santee elementary schools participate in a donation drive to support our qualifying families with food for a holiday meal and pantry/staple items for their family during the holiday break from school. To collect toys and purchase additional pantry food, Santee Santas depends upon the generous support of local businesses, community members, and volunteers. Food is placed in boxes with content dependent on family size and toys are sorted and wrapped for recipient children from 0-11. Children 12-18 receive a gift card to purchase a special gift of their choosing.
All of these items are then sorted and packaged in preparation for delivery to hundreds of Santee families just in time to spread Christmas cheer to some of those most in need.
Senior Outreach
The Santee Santas Foundation Senior Outreach focuses on isolated senior citizens living in care facilities, mobile home parks and senior apartment complexes within the City of Santee. Santee Santas wants to ensure they are not forgotten.
Each year a holiday plant is delivered to over 200 seniors living in Santee mobile home parks and stuffed animals are delivered to patients in the Stanford Court Nursing Home. In partnership with the City of Santee, Santee Santas also delivered a monthly box of food and household needs to low income seniors during the COVID pandemic.
The Senior Outreach Program continues to expand each year, as more seniors discover they may qualify for assistance from Santee Santas.
2025 Sponsors and Supporters
THANK YOU to all of our supporters. We can only accomplish our Mission with your help!
Platinum ($1,500 and over)
- A. M. Ortega General Contractor
- Sam Gardner - The Seeding Project
- M.H.B. Professional Dental Corp.
- Santee School District Schools
- Santee Administrators Association
- New Frontier Mobile Home Community
- Santee Fraternal Order of Eagles Aerie 3973
- Tower Glass, Inc.
Gold ($500 - $1,499)
- Ann Sixtus
- Benjamin Goodall
- Christopher Harris
- John & Laura Minto
- Kim C. Wong, MD
- Pamela Swan
- Robert Murphy
- Steven Bennett
- Todd Galarneau
- Valerie Stangle
- Crafters Fence Inc.
- E & H General Contracting, Inc.
- EMSTA College
- Hawaiian Village Mobilehome Park
- Interpipe Contracting, Inc
- L & S Precision Cutter Service
- Pacific Green Landscape, Inc.
- Rozendal Associates, Inc
- San Diego Concrete Pumping, Inc.
Silver ($200 - $499)
- Rick & Cindy Boster
- Paul & Judy Cody-Eddinger
- Mark Grund
- MarDee Haring-Layton
- Bonnie Harker
- Sharon Hathaway
- Emily Hawkes
- Katherine Kakacek
- Kathleen McKinnon
- James Ridley
- Jean Setzer
- Paul & Roxanne Sheck
- Heather Tremble
- Aire-Force Heating and Air, Inc.
- Bird Tattoos & Piercings
- Cuyamaca Petroleum, LLC
- Filippi's Pizza Grotto
- The Gander Company
- Mobile Home Connection
- Pink Donut
- San Diego Footing Repair
- West Coast Arborists, Inc
Sustaining ($100 - $199)
- Sandy Astley
- Geri & Alan Breininger
- Gay Sophia Yu Charley
- Larry & Roseann Gilmore
- Amanda Guthrie
- Susan Joachim
- Wayne & Julianna Langevin
- Judy Menne
- Neil Passage
- Stephanie Pierce
- Stephanie Price
- Kathy Rasmussen
- Tricia Robertson
- Randy & Bonnie Robinson
- Marylyn Satmary
- Mary Soren
- Nicole Tingle
- Rachel Wilson
- Costco-Santee
- Cuyamaca Construction
- Linda's Ledgers
- Rancho Los Coches RV Park
- Wayne M. Whalen, D.C.
Contributing ($1 - $99)
- Julie Berezkina
- Michelle Blanchard
- Deryl & Geraldine Dack
- Karen Dejong
- Nancy Detomaso
- Nancy Dunn
- Megan Forbell
- Susan Freathy
- Ronn Hall
- Jeffrey Hankins
- Kristina Helton
- Paul & Kathy Hotchkiss
- Carolyn Kennedy
- Kristi Kimble
- Patricia LaVoire
- Patricia Leslie
- Marian Mann
- Katheen Moore
- Eric Minimo
- Larry Nichols
- Donna Pardue
- Winifred Petersen
- Jeri Powell
- Mary Lou Pryshepa
- Linda Renner
- Linda Renner
- Richard & Susan Reyes
- Jennifer Reynolds
- Sarah Robertson
- Julie Rohman
- Donna Roden
- Richard & Ellen Rothe
- The Roysdon Family
- Jeffrey & Veronica Simonides
- Michael & Mary Small
- Carl Smith
- Ron Snyder
- William & Marlys Stiles
- Donald Strampfer
- Alan R. Tuthill, D.C.
- Linda Wiley
- Rachel Wilson
- Doris Woodring
- Nhi Yari
- Cest La Vie Salon
- Furology Pet Spaw
- J & J Drapery
- MBN Business Support
- McBreaty Construction
- Omelette Factory
- Purrology Spaw & Retreat
In Kind Contributions
- American Eagle Self Storage
- Davisson Enterprises, Inc.
- Chick-fil-A - Santee
- Santee Fire Department
- Giant Pizza King - Santee
- Barnes and Noble Bookstore
- Pacific Green Landscape, Inc.
- Priest Development Corp.
- Valley Box Company
- Lakeside Friends of the Library
- Eccentric International Chefs
- ServPro-Santee
- Santee School District
- Waste Management-El Cajon
Grants
- Albertsons/Vons Foundation (Gold)
- City of Santee (CDB Grant)
- San Diego Scottish Rite Foundation (Gold)
- Sycuan Casino Resort (Platinum)
We apologize if any of our supporters were unintentionaly omitted.
Hear from the community
“When I moved to Santee a few years ago, I was looking for a way to volunteer my time. I came across Santee Santas while looking through the chamber of commerce magazine. I knew it would be a perfect fit for me. I spend my volunteer time wrapping gifts for families in need.”
- Angel
(Volunteer)
“This non-profit organization does so much good for the Santee Community and they are always looking for more volunteers for either the Toy Program, Food Program or Delivery Day Program.”
- Sam
(RETIRED Board Member)
“Thank you so much for bringing Christmas to our home. I can’t wait for Christmas morning to come! Wish you all a merry Christmas with your families. It warms my heart to see such generosity from our community. We wouldn’t have much if it wasn’t for you all thank you. “
- Kristy
(RECIPIENT)
Find a Volunteer Opportunity
- All adult volunteers must complete a volunteer application and waiver. Click below to sign up!
- Parents of volunteers under 18 should download and complete the child volunteer waiver and bring it to your child’s first volunteer event.