Sometimes, life’s lessons emerge from the most unlikely places. For Janet Garufis – Montecito Bank & Trust’s dynamic chairman and CEO – one such place was her grandparents’ house in Boyle Heights in Los Angeles. Garufis often went there as a child when her parents were working. “My grandmother and grandfather didn’t have much, but [...more...]
For the Santa Barbara Symphony, the 2023-24 season expresses a number of the outreach efforts in its mission: to enrich residents’ lives by producing and presenting the highest quality musical experiences, performed with artistic excellence [...more...]
Giving List Matching Challenges
Youth Development
On Ellwood Mesa, a second grader watched dolphins crest the waves and whispered, “Pinch me so I know I’m not […more…]
The I Madonnari Street Painting Festival, much-beloved mainstay of Memorial Day weekend for many decades, is more than two months […more…]
Santa Barbara is hardly a winter wonderland where people gather on a frozen lake to frolic on ice skates during […more…]
Homelessness
In the late 1960s, a small group of volunteers in Santa Barbara launched what would become one of the county’s […more…]
In the shadows of Santa Barbara’s picturesque coastline, where million-dollar homes overlook pristine beaches, a different economic reality exists among […more…]
Villa Majella is SB County’s only maternity home, providing safe shelter, 24/7 support, transportation, warm meals, and access to vital services. […more…]
Health & Wellness
Cottage Health is entering a new era of innovation while staying true to its mission of providing exceptional, compassionate care. […more…]
In a world where anxiety and stress affect children at unprecedented rates, one Santa Barbara organization is teaching our youngest […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
Attention all seniors in North County High Schools. Submissions for next year’s opportunity to earn the $5,000 NatureTrack Foundation’s Nancy […more…]
We’re thrilled to share that in exactly two weeks—on Thursday, March 5th at 9 AM PST / 12 PM EST—our […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
Thirty-seven years after its founding in the parking lot at Transition House – where the goal was simply to create […more…]
In a classroom at Santa Barbara High School, a student named Arturo sat slumped in his chair, disengaged from another […more…]
In the face of a devastating diagnosis that would break most spirits, 13-year-old Ava Decker chose to fight not just […more…]
For the Arts
UCSB Arts & Lectures and the Santa Barbara County Office of Arts and Culture present the FREE outdoor summer film […more…]
When Amada Cruz took over as Santa Barbara Museum of Art’s new Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Director and CEO about […more…]
Executive Director Greg Gorga has been part of the staff of the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum (SBMM) for nearly 19 […more…]
For the Animals
Wilma Melville founded the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation in 1996, a year after witnessing the dearth of rescue dogs […more…]
Join Return to Freedom for the Opening Day of their 2026 program season, and a celebration of Spirit’s 31st birthday on May 9 at their Lompoc headquarters sanctuary! The […more…]
In the sun-drenched expanses of Santa Barbara County, where coastal breezes carry whispers of isolation, a white cat named Snow […more…]
Emergency Services
Wilma Melville founded the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation in 1996, a year after witnessing the dearth of rescue dogs […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…]
Olive Crest’s Hope Refuge Campus in Santa Barbara County provides a safe place for young survivors of sex trafficking to […more…]
The first five years of a child’s life lay the foundation for how they’ll do in school and beyond – […more…]
Community Resilience
A hiker in Santa Barbara’s wilderness hasn’t returned home, a biker crashes off the trail, a runner collapses from dehydration, or […more…]
In an era where technology dominates our daily lives, you might wonder if public libraries still matter. According to Lauren […more…]
Lots of local Santa Barbara residents, long-timers and newbies alike, have strong opinions about whether the nine-block stretch of State […more…]
Advocacy
Anybody who has seen a police procedural or legal drama on TV knows that criminal suspects not only have the […more…]
In a small corner office of the Shoreline Community Church, immigrants can find a much welcome pathway to the American […more…]
In the early 1940s, Hollywood director George Cukor brought his ailing nephew over from England, along with a nurse. His […more…]