Santee Food Bank Manager Named District 4 Person Of The Year

SANTEE, CA — Marty Smothermon has helped those in need for more than 20 years as a dedicated volunteer at the Santee Food Bank.

Her countless volunteer hours have not gone unnoticed. She was named Person of the Year for District 4 in Santee for her work with the nonprofit organization.

District 4 Councilman Dustin Trotter surprised Smothermon, 80, with the award at last week's commodities distribution at the Santee Food Bank, during which the organization provided food for 238 households. She was also recognized at Wednesday's District 4 town hall meeting.

"It's humbling," Smothermon told Patch. "It's an honor, and I'm really grateful for it."

Smothermon currently serves as site manager and board vice president of the Santee Food Bank.

She started volunteering at the organization after retiring from a career as a cost analyst. She learned about the need for volunteers at her church, Santee United Methodist Church.

"I needed something to do. I had to have something to do, a sense of purpose," Smothermon recalled. "That's what the food bank gave me — a sense of purpose."

Smothermon said the volunteer job was "a good fit right away." She started off handing out bread and quickly took on more responsibilities.

She has led the Santee Food Bank for years as site manager for daily operations. She has also served as treasurer, president and now vice president of the nonprofit's board of directors.

"I like to get things done," said Smothermon, who has lived on the same street in Santee for 52 years. "I'm a doer."

The Santee Food Bank has been part of the community since 1983, providing food assistance to residents in need. In its early years, the nonprofit was located on the Edgemoor property on Magnolia Avenue and served roughly 15 households each time it opened for food distribution, Smothermon said.

Over the years, the Santee Food Bank was located near the former Newbreak Church campus on Cottonwood Avenue and then in a small industrial space on Hartley Road.

The nonprofit is now at 9715 Halberns Blvd. on the property of Carlton Hills Lutheran Church.

The Santee Food Bank offers food distribution from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays and commodities distribution from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. on the third Tuesday of every month.

Under Smothermon's leadership and with a core group of 20 volunteers, the Santee Food Bank has grown to serve 400 to 450 families each month.

"And we're branching out, too!" Smothermon said.

In the summer of 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the nonprofit became a "Super Pantry" under San Diego Food Bank's Super Pantry program of high-volume food distribution centers in communities across San Diego County.

The designation allowed the Santee Food Bank to reach more people and serve anyone who needs food assistance, not just Santee residents. In 2021, the organization provided food to more than 25,000 individuals, Smothermon said.

Smothermon volunteers at least 30 hours a week and is on-site about three times a week.

She helped coordinate the nonprofit's moves over the years. She served as the primary liaison with local organizations, including Feeding San Diego, the San Diego Food Bank, the city of Santee and San Diego County. She helped write grants, responded to emails, signed spreadsheets, designed and maintained several internal databases, and did more to keep the all-volunteer-run organization running smoothly.

"It's something I feel very strongly about because there are so many people who are in need," Smothermon said.