A Volunteer Who Answered the Call to Help Others

Margie Santellano asked herself one day, “What can I do to help people?”  Thirteen years ago, she walked into El Rio’s Roger Jones Center to see if there was a way to answer this question and has been helping as a valued FOOD Share volunteer ever since.  She began working with Ora Washington, the Site Coordinator at the time, as a Brown Bag Program volunteer and with USDA food commodities program. She continues to offers her time, energy, and compassion to hungry seniors served by two Brown Bag programs: the Westminster Presbyterian Church in Port Hueneme, where she is the Site Coordinator; and the Roger Jones Center in El Rio with Elsie Williams, who is the Site Coordinator. She also delivers bags to Casa Pacifica Apartments and Mar Vista Apartments. In short, she is an amazing woman!

Her dedication to those she helps is an inspiration and a gift of the heart. She tirelessly continues to bag food, unload trucks, help seniors carry bags to their cars, and deliver bags of supplemental food to homebound seniors. She goes the extra mile by helping some homebound seniors place groceries in their pantries. Her days are often long since she goes to homebound seniors more than one time a day. She sometimes returns at night to deliver bags, knowing that the bags would be stolen if left outside the door. She enjoys the company of the nice people who pick-up their bags of food. A lot of people share their stories about not being able to pay rent and difficulty making ends meet. “It is a wonderful thing to have this program for seniors, because a lot of them need it.”

Brown Bag recipients also appreciate help from Margie Santellano’s family.  EJ Santellano, Margie’s husband, has been helping at the Roger Jones site for 10 years by checking in eligible Brown Bag recipients. Margie’s daughter also helps by taking Margie’s place in her absence. “I hope the people who really want and need the Brown Bag come forward and ask for the help. It will be given to them. I enjoy helping out FOOD Share. I enjoy my work very much and everyone else does. It is just like a family.”