If the name CommUnify doesn’t ring a bell, Patricia Keelean, the nonprofit’s chief executive officer, thinks she knows why. “We are our own best-kept secret,” Keelean said. There’s a good reason for that – CommUnify is actually the new DBA for what used to be called the Community Action Commission of Santa Barbara County – [...more...]
With the NFL football season launching earlier this month, the Santa Barbara Symphony is hosting a kickoff of their own, a free season preview event on Thursday, September 18, at the at the historic Lobero [...more...]
Giving List Matching Challenges
Youth Development
The I Madonnari Street Painting Festival, much-beloved mainstay of Memorial Day weekend for many decades, is more than two months […more…]
When Diego first joined the United Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Barbara County last year, severe separation anxiety made […more…]
Santa Barbara is hardly a winter wonderland where people gather on a frozen lake to frolic on ice skates during […more…]
Homelessness
Villa Majella is SB County’s only maternity home, providing safe shelter, 24/7 support, transportation, warm meals, and access to vital services. […more…]
Founded in 1968 as a small community counseling center, New Beginnings has evolved into a powerful agency with four core […more…]
In the shadows of Santa Barbara’s picturesque coastline, where million-dollar homes overlook pristine beaches, a different economic reality exists among […more…]
Health & Wellness
Cottage Health is entering a new era of innovation while staying true to its mission of providing exceptional, compassionate care. […more…]
A dam was just 23 when he suffered a stroke that nearly took his life. He spent two weeks in […more…]
Despite Santa Barbara’s seemingly vibrant, prosperous community, some of its youngest residents face invisible barriers to health and wellness that […more…]
For the Environment
In the first week of this year, from the fifth floor of our Santa Monica office, we witnessed the Pacific […more…]
Heal the Ocean began back in August 1998 shortly after Hillary Hauser published an editorial in the Santa Barbara News-Press […more…]
Join the Community Environmental Council on Saturday, September 27 for a celebration of resilience to honor our collective strength as […more…]
For the Children
In the face of a devastating diagnosis that would break most spirits, 13-year-old Ava Decker chose to fight not just […more…]
On a recent afternoon at the Santa Barbara Zoo, a third-grader sat motionless before her untouched burger, politely declining offers […more…]
In the first five years of life, a child’s brain will develop to 90% of its capacity, according to the […more…]
For the Arts
Miller McCune Executive Director of UCSB Arts & Lectures Meghan Bush recently replaced Celesta Billeci, who had spent 25 years […more…]
At age 17, Grace Fisher was a budding musician, a creative spirit on the cusp of adulthood. Her world was […more…]
Santa Barbara Museum of Art’s Executive Director and CEO Amada Cruz is understandably proud of the museum’s current exhibition. The […more…]
For the Animals
Return to Freedom’s Founder Neda DeMayo has had horse sense since her earliest memories. “Horse was my first word,” DeMayo […more…]
“When you have a passion or a calling, that is what you do. You don’t have a choice.” That reality […more…]
Emergency Services
In the rolling hills outside Santa Paula, California, a stirring ceremony is afoot. Four young first responders from Oklahoma Task […more…]
For nearly 80 years, Direct Relief has stood ready to meet the cascading challenges of global disasters, delivering life-saving medicines, […more…]
Santa Barbara County Search and Rescue (SBCSAR) was ready when an experienced paraglider had an issue with equipment and was […more…]
Education
The Central City East neighborhood of Downtown Los Angeles goes by another moniker – one familiar to the public and […more…]
The first five years of a child’s life lay the foundation for how they’ll do in school and beyond – […more…]
Olive Crest’s Hope Refuge Campus in Santa Barbara County provides a safe place for young survivors of sex trafficking to […more…]
Community Resilience
On May 20, 2025, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors officially proclaimed the month of May as Search and Rescue Month, honoring the […more…]
Lots of local Santa Barbara residents, long-timers and newbies alike, have strong opinions about whether the nine-block stretch of State […more…]
Direct Relief navigates the war zones in Ukraine to deliver cystic fibrosis medications, transports Mpox vaccines to clinics in the […more…]
Advocacy
Join Hillside for a Disability Independence Day Festival at Hillside! This fun-filled and family-friendly event is a great way to […more…]
In perhaps one of the most challenging times for undocumented immigrants in American history, the Legal Aid Foundation of Santa […more…]
In a small corner office of the Shoreline Community Church, immigrants can find a much welcome pathway to the American […more…]