Tag archives: community
Volunteering is a chance to give back to the community that supports you. Being active in the community allows one to help with local causes while meeting the people who make up your community. As Jean Von Wittenburg puts it: “Volunteering is fabulous. That’s all I can say.” During her thirty or so years in […]
Through my work at Leading From Within over the years, I’ve had the good fortune to know many nonprofit leaders. They’re a special group of people that are uniquely called to make the world better than they found it. Many of them sacrifice a great deal in their commitment to help others. Where do these […]
Webster’s Dictionary defines thrive as a verb meaning “to grow vigorously, flourish” or “to progress toward or realize a goal despite or because of circumstances.” No wonder the Breast Cancer Resource Center of Santa Barbara – the nonprofit that provides free educational resources and unique support services for women currently facing a breast cancer diagnosis […]
If you’ve spent any time in Montecito, it’s a good bet Dan Eidelson’s community involvement efforts touched you. The long-time Montecito resident and prominent community leader died peacefully at his home on January 10, 2021 of non-COVID related causes. He was 89 years old. During his 35 years residing in Montecito, Eidelson was repeatedly drafted […]
This Friday, February 19, at 10:30 am, the Montecito Journal will host a Community Zoom Forum on the subject of our County’s COVID Vaccination Rollout. Present at this forum will be: Congressman Salud Carbajal, State Senator Monique Limón, County Supervisors Das Williams and Gregg Hart, Santa Barbara County Director of Public Health Van Do-Reynoso, and […]
Sometimes it takes a global pandemic to highlight the crucial role that community banks play in rescuing local businesses from the economic nightmare that comes with a year-long statewide shutdown. For American Riviera Bank (ARB), which opened in 2006 thanks to about 400 local shareholders who put up roughly $25 million in start-up cash, the […]
We are social beings, and the stretches of isolation can be challenging. For seniors who are at higher risk of COVID and may be facing limited mobility, even the recent reopenings do not offer the same opportunity to rejoin a distanced social life. Many do not have the same social outlets to keep them active […]
1936-2020 Immigrant daughter from humble beginnings internalized her family’s “Lessons to Live By” and became a community hero by dedicating her life to serving people in crisis Unity Shoppe lost our matriarch and founder, Barbara Tellefson, after a brief bout with an aggressive illness. She was 84. Barbara’s singular focus and half-century of devotion to […]
Today’s letter is a guided tour of Santa Barbara from Maxx Christal. Maxx is a Crane and Laguna Blanca alum who was known as something of an adrenaline junkie back in our high school days – almost certainly a reputation he earned after volunteering to go first on every climb and zip line during class […]
When COVID-19 first closed down in-person meetings, everyone hurried to figure out online opportunities. But New Beginnings Counseling Center (NBCC) had a leg up, having already nearly completed a partial pivot to Zoom before the pandemic opened the floodgates toward the platform. It turns out the nonprofit had recognized a need to find a way […]
Saturday night, many of us gathered electronically to commemorate the third anniversary of the Debris Flow that claimed 23 of our community members, destroyed hundreds of homes, and shook us to our core. It’s a day we’ll never forget. As with all major disasters, the entire community experienced a collective trauma: shock, loss, grief, and […]
Darkness Deepens, and Then Light It was the first Sunday evening of a gloomy 2021. We tried our best at making it seem like a “Happy” New Year, full of new hope and promise. But it was not. We had just returned from a dog walk through our Montecito neighborhood and it was usually lovely […]
Happy New Year! 2021 is finally here and while I’ve never been more ecstatic to watch the ball drop in Times Square, I know a number does not a miracle make. As much as we crave instant relief from the dumpster fire that was 2020 and the pandemic that defined it, unfortunately none of the […]
As our community approaches the third anniversary of the 1/9 Thomas Fire Debris Flow, we find ourselves in the third consecutive disaster we’ve faced as a community, and this time it’s a global pandemic. This Saturday, we’d love to gather everyone, come together as a community, and remember those we lost in the early morning […]
Founded in 1899, the Family Service Agency (FSA) has been a continual source of support in the community for over a century. Over the years they have helped individuals and families with counseling, mental health programs, and more concrete support of basic needs like access to transportation and schools. Of course the pandemic has brought […]
Shock and Law In an article in MJ’s Dec 3-10 issue, Rinaldo S. Brutoco describes the recent Supreme Court decision in Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn v Cuomo as astounding, shocking, incredible, and “out of left field.” The only thing shocking to this former trial lawyer is Mr. Brutoco’s total misstatement of the facts of […]
In case you’ve never heard of a ShelterBox, it’s a big green box filled with lifesaving items for families the world over who have lost their homes due to a disaster. The ShelterBox headquarters are right here in Santa Barbara. They recently had a virtual fundraiser, livestreamed, and raised more than $250,000. Since 2000, ShelterBox […]
Santa Barbara creative marketing agency Oniracom is giving back to the community during the COVID-19 crisis, particularly during the holiday season. The company, whose studio facilities are located near the Funk Zone, is providing at-cost pandemic friendly media space and live stream technology solutions. “We are all part of an incredible community that it’s our […]
The Hands Across Montecito initiative got off to a great start this September. We did a census count with a terrific team of Montecito volunteers, our fire chiefs, sheriffs, and members of Behavioral Wellness, organized by City Net. We hiked all over Montecito, interviewing, and finding out more about who is living unsheltered here, and […]
I started at UC Santa Barbara in 1976, almost on a whim. I thought I would attend UC San Diego, but my high school girlfriend had her heart set on UC Santa Barbara, and though she was a junior, my romantic ass decided to head north and wait for her. When she finally arrived at […]
