Tag archives: Friendship Center

Festival of Hearts Goes Virtual
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   February 4, 2021

For the last 22 years, Montecito’s Friendship Center has hosted a fun-filled pre-Valentine’s event to raise funds for the Center’s HEART (Help Elders At Risk Today) Program, subsidizing the cost of adult day services for low-income aging and dependent adults and their families. This year, thanks to the pandemic, the event is going virtual, and […]

Friendship Center Hosts Drive-By Luau for Local Senior Citizens
By Nick Schou   |   September 3, 2020

Ever since March, Montecito’s Friendship Center has been delivering monthly care packages to its senior citizen clients who have been mostly isolated at their homes from Goleta to Summerland during the pandemic. Two months ago, the center also hosted a drive-in event where clients could wave to staff from the comfort and safety of their […]

Montecito’s Friendship Center and the Bucket Brigade Deliver Fiesta-Themed Totes to Santa Barbara Seniors
By Nick Schou   |   August 13, 2020

This week, both sides of State Street would typically be lined with crowds watching men and women wearing traditional Mexican costumes parading on horseback or dancing in formation from one end of town to the other. But thanks to COVID-19, the annual Old Spanish Days Fiesta has been called off for the first time since […]

Bucket Brigade Updates
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   June 11, 2020

On Tuesday, June 2, fourth graders at Laguna Blanca Lower School held their Citizenship Event via Zoom. Usually held as a special breakfast on campus, the event is a culmination of curriculum taught in the fourth grade, focusing on good citizenship and leadership. Each year, students choose members of the community who exhibit the Six […]

Friendship Center, Easy Lift, and Bucket Brigade Team Up for Home Food Deliveries
By Nick Schou   |   April 2, 2020

Since 1979, Montecito’s non-profit Friendship Center has provided group therapy for senior citizens from Monday through Friday at its rustic headquarters on Eucalyptus Lane. Normally by mid-morning on a weekday, the center would be a buzz of activity, with caregivers dropping off members to enjoy a day full of live music, therapy dog yoga, talks […]

Festival of Hearts
By Lynda Millner   |   February 20, 2020

Friendship Center brought 2020 roaring in with their 21st Festival of Hearts “The New Roaring ‘20s” held at the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort. The hotel was a sea of feather boas, sequins, fringe and headbands as the flapper ladies and a few dandy gentlemen sipped Fess Parker wines to the live music of A […]

Festival of Hearts
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   January 30, 2020

Friendship Center is hosting its 21st Annual Festival of Hearts on Saturday, February 8, at the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort. This festive pre-Valentine’s Day event features an elegant sit-down lunch with local wines and live music by A la Carte, owned by Jan Ingram and Henry Garrett. The theme this year is the Roaring […]

Hearts & Hugs For Heroes
By Lynda Millner   |   November 26, 2019

Friendship Center held their first veterans’ celebration with lots of red, white and blue, a hug line and applause for each veteran attending. If you gave a hug you were rewarded with a home baked heart shaped cookie. Lt. John Blankenship from Pierre Claeyssens Veterans Foundation was there with a color guard, Deborah Bertling sang […]

Hearts & Hugs for Heroes
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   October 31, 2019

Next Wednesday, November 6, the Friendship Center invites the community to celebrate veterans and their service to our country at the Montecito Center, 89 Eucalyptus Lane.  There will be a heroes’ hug line, heart cookies, flag ceremony, and patriotic music. Carol Metcalf-Roth, licensed MFT, Military Family Life Counselor, and comedian, will do live comedy and […]

Wine Down
By Lynda Millner   |   September 19, 2019

Friendship Adult Day Care Center (FADCC) just held its ninth annual Wine Down and Big Heart Awards. It’s such a lovely facility anyway with its open courtyard, but it’s especially pretty when dressed up for this fête. Guests arrived and picked up a wine glass from which to savor wines, spirits, and coffee: Buttonwood Farm […]

Friendship Center Updates
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   August 29, 2019

Friendship Center’s 9th Annual Wine Down & Big Heart Awards will be Thursday, September 5 from 4 to 7 pm. Featuring tastings of wine, beer, spirits, and coffee from 10+ local businesses, this is a fun and festive event to support the adult day care facility.  Participating beverage purveyors include Buttonwood Farm Winery, Draughtsmen Aleworks, […]

Will You Be My Valentine?
By Richard Mineards   |   February 28, 2019

Stylists at Richie’s Barber Shop on Coast Village Road proved they were a cut above the rest 24 hours before Valentine’s Day. Staffers Jessica Jay and Mary Tsushima visited the Friendship Center, a licensed adult day program for seniors, a tiara’s toss from All Saints-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church and set up a popup shop to enable […]

Festival Of Hearts
By Lynda Millner   |   February 21, 2019

The Friendship Center elder day care held its 20th Festival of Hearts Luncheon turning Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort into the Emerald City from The Wizard of Oz. The 20th milestone of an event is symbolized by emeralds hence the suggestion to come as an Oz character or at least wear green. The results were […]

Artists Reception
By Lynda Millner   |   February 14, 2019

Friendship Center’s 20th annual “Festival of Hearts” was held at the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort February 9. Several days prior to the event there was a display of many of the decorated hearts for the public to see. The showcase windows at Charleston Shoe Co. at 1017A State were chock a block full of […]

Festival of Hearts
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   January 31, 2019

Friendship Center is hosting its 20th Annual Festival of Hearts on Saturday, February 9 from 11:30 am to 2:30 pm at the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort. This festive pre-Valentine’s Day event features a sit-down lunch and local wines, with live music by Montecito Jazz Project.  Since the first Festival of Hearts, the centerpiece of […]

Wine Down
By Lynda Millner   |   September 27, 2018

Friendship Center gave its 8th annual Wine Down and Big Heart Awards at its Montecito location. As executive director Heidi Holly said, “Thursday is the new Friday.” That’s because their event was on a Thursday and everyone was wining down. Friendship Center in Montecito and Goleta “share the care” for ageing and dependent adults through […]

Wine Down at Friendship Center
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   September 6, 2018

Next week marks the 8th annual Wine Down & Big Heart Awards at Friendship Center in Montecito; members of the community are invited to join for a relaxing and festive gathering in the courtyard with 12 local wineries/breweries pouring their beverages for tasting, along with hors d’oeuvres by Spices N Rice, and live music by […]

Let’s Examine the Science
By Montecito Journal   |   April 5, 2018

I have been in science my whole life, and as I age I realize it rarely has needed a Newton or Einstein; it has just needed information and common sense. As an example, I realized in recent weeks after witnessing the current hysteria over rain and flooding, there is a simpler explanation to our freak […]

Queen of Hearts
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   February 8, 2018

Saturday, February 10, marks the Friendship Center’s 19th Annual Festival of Hearts at the Fess Parker. The festive Valentine luncheon is a popular fundraising event for the adult daycare center, located on Eucalyptus Road in Montecito.  This year’s theme is the Queen of Hearts’ Tea Party, and attendees will enjoy lunch, local wines, musical entertainment […]