Tag archives: community
After making it an online event given the pandemic last year, the 23rd annual Empty Bowls fundraiser at the headquarters of the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County, just a tiara’s toss from its normal venue at the Ben Page Youth Center, was quite the gridlocked occasion at the weekend. The bustling event, founded by bubbly […]
Tea was served in copious amounts as CommUnify invited dozens to an outdoor event at the gorgeous Santa Barbara Club on December 2. Good thing, because one simple statement was quite sobering. Santa Barbara County is essentially tied for first in California for highest poverty rate. With the sale of countless multi-million-dollar homes in the […]
For nonprofits, there are many barometers of success. One is fundraising, obviously. The more a nonprofit can raise, the better its odds become of fulfilling its mission. Another is outcome. One advantage enjoyed by Mission Scholars, the program I run under the aegis of the Santa Barbara Education Foundation, is that its goals are clear-cut […]
Susan Venable can’t help but get choked up a bit, as the mental images that come from weeks of helping clear out other people’s homes amid natural tragedy are something that will stick with her for the rest of her life. As an artist, the Montecito Debris Flow was chockful of visual reminders, but none […]
Holidays bring a jumble of emotions and 2021 is no exception. But there’s a particular grimness this season and I find myself lingering in the shadows of Thanksgiving for illumination. November in Santa Barbara: Why have there been so many deadly traffic accidents? Just earlier this month we saw dark smoke along Highway 101 and […]
Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics operates eight clinics in Santa Barbara, Goleta, and Isla Vista, largely located in neighborhoods where healthcare is most needed by an underserved population. The buildings themselves aren’t glamorous even though they’re located in a town with a gleaming new cancer center and a gorgeously re-designed front entrance to the main hospital. […]
For Sharon Byrne, gazing at the 15-foot tree that stands in the grassy knoll in front of Pierre Lafond in the Upper Village has a new significance in 2021. For the first time, a silver star will have the name of a loved one on it for Byrne — for her father, who passed away […]
The Montecito Country Mart might be a bit small, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t pack a big punch. Just ask Kristin Teufel how busy she is nowadays trying to coordinate a multitude of events, pop-ups, and marketing of the holidays at the MCM. “I feel like I’m going around the clock,” Teufel said. “We […]
December 4 marks four years since the Thomas Fire began its treacherous march from Santa Paula to the hills of Carpinteria and Montecito. We all remember the devastating debris flow that occurred just more than a month later. Every winter since the 1/9 Debris Flow, Montecito Fire has partnered with our local first responder and […]
It was quite the nerve-wracking occasion when the 56-year-old Rescue Mission’s new kitchen manager David Fletcher organized his first Thanksgiving Feast for 200 guests. With 50 roasted turkeys, 100 pounds of mashed potatoes, and 75 pounds of vegetables, not to mention huge trays of pumpkin and pecan pie, David, who has only been in the […]
To many, the 2021 Music Academy of the West Summer School and Festival was nothing short of a miracle. Despite the need to plan well in advance of the state’s reopening in mid-June, MAW not only managed to pull off a spectacular hybrid season that brought more than 100 fellows from around the world to […]
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite times of year. I love how the holiday allows us to reflect and give gratitude before we launch into the rest of the end-of-year holidays. Oh, and I love the food. This year I find Thanksgiving especially poignant. For those not felled by COVID, we’re coming up on the […]
The Rotary Club of Montecito Foundation has awarded a total of $15,000 to support the work of 15 Santa Barbara-area nonprofit organizations.The grants awarded under the foundation’s annual Community Grants Program were $1,000 each and go to organizations benefitting a wide range of constituents, including children, seniors, low-income families, and animals. All grants are funded […]
The last six months of my father’s life were spent in isolation from our family and his friends, but not, as I was to learn, from a new, adhoc family that embraced him. Like millions across the U.S., the COVID lockdowns kept me, my mother, and my siblings completely apart from my 80-year-old father. But, […]
We just want to take this opportunity to tell you how grateful we are for you, our beloved community, for all the ways you’ve inspired us with your generosity, come through in spades for your community, been through the worst of times and stood so strong, and made this just one of the finest places […]
As a community, we sit days away from the certification of our recent mayoral and city council election and I wanted to take a few minutes to address my city: It was an honor and a privilege to serve as a catalyst for change and to truly hold to my campaign motto: “A New Day. […]
The venerable Granada Theatre has officially unveiled Plaza Granada, a new $2 million pathway to the historic arts district in downtown Santa Barbara. “It took more than 10 years to complete,” says Montecito’s Palmer Jackson, the Granada’s executive chairman. “It is a meticulously planned project. It was the dream of the late Michael Towbes and […]
Montecito Firefighter Lucas Grant is too young to have personal memories of what it was like when local firefighters were an integral part of a community beyond responding to emergencies, but that Norman Rockwell image of the local firehouse as a friendly and helpful gathering place still pulls on his heart. “I hear stories about […]
While the past two years have been unkind to so many, live event producers have faced unprecedented challenges. The core concept of their craft has been at stake, with countless live events being cancelled. This was very true for Lucidity Festival, which was only a month or so out when the shutdown occurred. The Lucidity […]
Whether it’s for a holiday gift or just something for yourself, the upcoming show, Ready to Hang, will have what you are looking for. This one-day pop-up art show will be held at the Community Arts Workshop (631 Garden St.) on Saturday, November 20, from 4-7 pm. The event is organized by Santa Barbara-based artist […]
