United Way’s Holiday Gift Drive kicks off in Santa Barbara County

Annual initiative helps make holiday season special for Santa Barbara County families in need.

United Way of Santa Barbara County has announced the launch of its fourth annual Holiday Gift Drive, a local volunteer opportunity that connects generous individuals and organizations with families in need to make the season extra special for their children.

Every year, the Holiday Gift Drive works with local schools and community organizations to bring joy and smiles to hundreds of families throughout Santa Barbara County, spanning from Carpinteria to Guadalupe. This year, the need is greater than ever before, and United Way invites partners and supporters to come together to help reach its goals for the 2023 program.

“This program is a great way for our community to get involved during this holiday season” said Kevin Muto, development executive at United Way. “The Holiday Gift Drive is one of our favorite experiences each year and it’s an honor to be a part of neighbors and friends coming together to make the season brighter for the families we serve.” 

United Way, in collaboration with its extensive network of program and community partners, has gathered wish lists from hundreds of children in the region. Each wish list shares more about the child’s general interests, hobbies and specific gifts they’re hoping for this holiday season. These wish lists serve as a general guide for those who wish to participate in this initiative, and volunteers are encouraged to select and purchase special and personalized gifts for the lists they’ve adopted however they are able.

As the holiday shopping season and Black Friday sales approach, all wish lists will be distributed to participating organizations by the third week of November, ensuring ample time for gift selection and preparation.

United Way invites community members to participate in this initiative by confirming involvement or adopting their wish lists by Nov. 10. To ensure the timely delivery of gifts to participating families, all presents should be wrapped and dropped off at the United Way office (320 E. Gutierrez St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101) by Friday, Dec. 8, 2023. To learn more about the drive, adopt a wish list, or view a list of commonly requested items, please visit https://www.unitedwaysb.org/hgd. 

About United Way of Santa Barbara County

Since 1923, United Way of Santa Barbara County has been a key leader in local efforts to empower children, families, and communities through its own unique collaborative programs and initiatives, partnership convening efforts, volunteer development, and funding. United Way’s mission is to enrich the lives of children and families and build resilient communities by leading local programs and partnerships that improve school readiness and academic achievement, financial empowerment, and crisis response and recovery. To learn more, please visit unitedwaysb.org.