Unity Shoppe Executive Director and CEO Angela Miller-Bevan grew up in Santa Barbara and was raised by a single mother in a low-income family. She can’t recall precisely her first encounter with Unity Shoppe, but she remembers clearly the organization was a presence in her childhood. “My mom went to Unity Shoppe and so we [...more...]
Tammy Johnson, Santa Barbara Foundation’s Vice President of Philanthropic Services since April of 2022, didn’t set out to work in philanthropy. The daughter of a 35-year Southern California Gas Company employee, Johnson grew up in [...more...]
Giving List Matching Challenges
Youth Development
Santa Barbara is hardly a winter wonderland where people gather on a frozen lake to frolic on ice skates during […more…]
The I Madonnari Street Painting Festival, much-beloved mainstay of Memorial Day weekend for many decades, is more than two months […more…]
On Ellwood Mesa, a second grader watched dolphins crest the waves and whispered, “Pinch me so I know I’m not […more…]
Homelessness
A man in his 40s with tears in his eyes walked into Santa Barbara’s New Beginnings Counseling Center late one […more…]
Housing Works has always been on the front lines of Los Angeles’ homelessness crisis, doing whatever it takes for as […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
A dam was just 23 when he suffered a stroke that nearly took his life. He spent two weeks in […more…]
Cottage Health is entering a new era of innovation while staying true to its mission of providing exceptional, compassionate care. […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
NatureTrack is excited to introduce something new for the Santa Ynez Valley community: NatureTrack’s FREE Special Screening Series. These curated […more…]
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…]
For the Children
Thirty-seven years after its founding in the parking lot at Transition House – where the goal was simply to create […more…]
On a recent afternoon at the Santa Barbara Zoo, a third-grader sat motionless before her untouched burger, politely declining offers […more…]
In a classroom at Santa Barbara High School, a student named Arturo sat slumped in his chair, disengaged from another […more…]
For the Arts
Santa Barbara Museum of Art’s Executive Director and CEO Amada Cruz is understandably proud of the museum’s current exhibition. The […more…]
UCSB Arts & Lectures and the Santa Barbara County Office of Arts and Culture present the FREE outdoor summer film […more…]
At age 17, Grace Fisher was a budding musician, a creative spirit on the cusp of adulthood. Her world was […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…]
Plenty of local folks probably aren’t aware of CIMWI, let alone what the acronym stands for – Channel Islands Marine […more…]
Thirty years ago this coming April, FEMA-Certified Canine Search Specialist Wilma Melville and her black lab Murphy spent a week […more…]
Emergency Services
Thirty years ago this coming April, FEMA-Certified Canine Search Specialist Wilma Melville and her black lab Murphy spent a week […more…]
Santa Barbara County Search and Rescue (SBCSAR) was ready when an experienced paraglider had an issue with equipment and was […more…]
Four-Star Rating for 15th Consecutive Year Highlights Operational Excellence and Humanitarian Impact Charity Navigator, America’s top independent nonprofit evaluator, has […more…]
Education
The first five years of a child’s life lay the foundation for how they’ll do in school and beyond – […more…]
The Central City East neighborhood of Downtown Los Angeles goes by another moniker – one familiar to the public and […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
In an era where technology dominates our daily lives, you might wonder if public libraries still matter. According to Lauren […more…]
State Street has long been the beating heart of Santa Barbara. Like many downtown corridors across America, it has faced […more…]
A hiker in Santa Barbara’s wilderness hasn’t returned home, a biker crashes off the trail, a runner collapses from dehydration, or […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…]
When disasters strike the Central Coast, not everyone has equal access to help. For those in the 805 community who […more…]