A writer doesn’t usually become a farmer. A one-time literature professor doesn’t often spend his mornings working rows of lettuce, tomatoes, and squash destined for local shelters. Yet for Teddy Macker, Whole Harvest Farm isn’t a career change so much as the natural extension of a lifelong belief that caring for people also involves tending [...more...]
The grandmother started crying almost as soon as she walked into Storyteller’s pantry. She had recently gained full custody of her grandchildren. She was working full time and had even received a recent raise, but [...more...]
For the Children
Ten years before the World Cup came to Los Angeles, the Play Equity Fund was already asking a question most […more…]
DL spent her formative years living on the streets and spending time in and out of juvenile hall. She and […more…]
The grandmother started crying almost as soon as she walked into Storyteller’s pantry. She had recently gained full custody of […more…]
Advocacy
Currently gun violence is the #1 cause of death for children in the United States. Read that again if you […more…]
There is a particular kind of loneliness that comes from believing the most essential thing about you must be explained […more…]
Legal Aid Foundation of Santa Barbara County (LAFSBC) remains the only provider of free civil legal services for survivors of […more…]
Bright Futures
Sometimes the problem isn’t a shortage of well-meaning nonprofits. It’s that those nonprofits tackling the same problem don’t have the […more…]
In 1969, a young father in Santa Barbara, unequipped and overwhelmed with his new parental role, shook his six-week-old child […more…]
Creative Endeavors
“Anytime anybody voices a concern about the quality of life that we’re going to be leading, we’re called environmentalists. And […more…]
Every year, UCSB Arts & Lectures brings some of the world’s most celebrated artists and speakers to Santa Barbara, creating […more…]
For 85 years, Santa Barbara Museum of Art has united people of all ages through inspiring art experiences. Located in […more…]
Critical Response & International Impact
Direct Relief began during a time of war, geopolitical tension, political division, and global economic instability. More than 80 years […more…]
When disasters strike, power is often the first thing communities lose — and one of the most important things they […more…]
When a recent earthquake devastated Venezuela, the Los Angeles County Fire Department sent six teams to help sift through the […more…]
Earth First
Heal the Ocean built its reputation by going after the sources of ocean pollution: failing septic systems, leaking oil wells, […more…]
Most people picture plastic pollution as floating islands of trash in the ocean or sea turtles tangled in six-pack rings. […more…]
In 1926, philanthropist Anna Dorinda Blaksley Bliss bought 13 acres of Mission Canyon as a memorial for her father, Henry […more…]
Nature's Advocates
From the Los Padres National Forest to the Channel Islands, the Central Coast of California contains some of the most […more…]
For one survivor, escaping domestic violence wasn’t the end of the story. It was the beginning of building a new […more…]
The Gulf of California holds more than a third of all the marine mammal species on earth. UNESCO calls it […more…]
Education
If you ask Sue Eisaguirre what NatureTrack is really about, she won’t begin by talking about trails or field trips. […more…]
In 1962, a group of education advocates came together to help area students pay for college or vocational school. Just […more…]
Connor was only eight months old when he had his first debilitating seizure. His mother rushed him to the emergency […more…]
For the Animals
At the county animal shelter, the chart for a cat named “Callie Sue” told a grim story: she was afflicted […more…]
A man recently walked into Santa Barbara Humane, prepared to make a heartbreaking decision: surrender one of his two dogs. […more…]
Bowie had been in a rescue’s care for five months when dog trainer Anthony Sorosky got the call. The German […more…]
Homelessness & Housing
The phone calls all ended the same way. Older adults who desperately needed to move would ask about the cost, […more…]
It has been a perfect storm. Santa Barbara County’s unsheltered count has been rising. Santa Barbara County’s public health department […more…]
On a vacant parking lot in downtown Santa Barbara, a village of small, private rooms rose during the pandemic, built […more…]
Health & Wellness
Every great center begins with a vision – and the heart to carry it forward. As Cottage Health brings together […more…]
Joan was a 78-year-old woman in Santa Barbara County living on the street. Joan’s medical condition made unsupported independent living […more…]
Going to the doctor can quickly become going to several doctors, several offices, and several appointments. Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics […more…]