Tag archives: Girls Inc

Bringing the Beat to Girls Inc. Carp
By Joanne A Calitri   |   August 11, 2026

Hellooooo My Loves! This week brings much fab philanthropy news from Montecito!  Our town’s gorgeously talented high school teens, Lila and Georgia MacPhail, announced their donation of a fully equipped Music Room to the lucky girls who are members at Girls Inc. Carpinteria! Giving back and paying it forward, they jumped at the chance to […]

Black History Month Events and Other News Bytes
By Montecito Journal   |   March 3, 2026

-Soulful Nights: A Jazz & Movie Celebration – Friday, February 27, 6-8 pm, at Carpinteria Community Library -Stories in Motion: A Family Celebration – Saturday, February 28, 10 am to noon, at SB Eastside Library -Black History Month Art Salon with Toni Scott & Rod Rolle – Moderated by Maya Johnson, Telea Insights, and James […]

Bright Girls, Bold Futures 2025
By Richard Mineards   |   November 25, 2025

Written by Maria W. Long I was escorted into the celebration by a beautiful young girl with a sparkling smile, who said, “Welcome, I am so excited you’re here!” as I entered this heartwarming, yet powerful event. Over 200 passionate community leaders at the Santa Barbara Club where there for a joyful celebration of resilience, […]

Sip & Swing Brings Jazz-Age Glamour to SYR and Other News Bytes
By Montecito Journal   |   October 14, 2025

The Ysidro Jazz Society in partnership with Monkey 47 Gin transported guests back to the roaring ’20s with Sip & Swing on October 2 – an elegant evening of live jazz, craft cocktails, and vintage flair. Inside the chic Prohibition-style speakeasy, the Al Vafa Jazz Trio filled the room with lively swing tunes while Monkey […]

Surf’s Up, Pups, Teacher’s Fund, and More News Bytes
By Montecito Journal   |   September 30, 2025

Join the Dog Days of Summer Photo Contest!  This year’s theme is all about the beach. Dress your pampered pup in their best seaside style and dive into our end-of-summer pup party. Every photo snapped will be entered for a chance to win! Winners to be announced in the Montecito Journal! The #1 Top Dog’s […]

Words to Live By
By Richard Mineards   |   May 20, 2025

Montecito actor Rob Lowe is at work on his third book. The working title for his next tome is What Do I Know? A Guide to Living which he hopes will land him in the self-help section at the bookstore. “It’s my truisms, what I found to work, what I found to not work, what […]

Executive Order Targets Libraries
By Montecito Journal   |   April 15, 2025

On March 14th, the Senate passed a continuing resolution for fiscal year 2025, providing funding for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) through September 2025. On the evening of March 14th, President Trump then ordered that the IMLS – the singular federal agency dedicated to funding library services – “be eliminated to the […]

1st Annual Black-Tie Gala for Girls Inc. of Carpinteria
By Joanne A Calitri   |   March 4, 2025

The Carpinteria Girls Inc. held their first “Red, Black and White” Gala on Saturday, February 22, at their newly renovated Carpinteria campus, transforming both the inside and outside area into an elegant ballroom, with decorations by the girls in their programs.  Girls Inc. has humble beginnings – the national organization was founded in 1864 after […]

Full Moon, Full Potential, Full Fun
By Richard Mineards   |   October 29, 2024

The lunar-tics were out in force for a night on the tiles at the Kimpton Canary hotel rooftop, when Girls Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara hosted a Full Moon, Full Potential bash, their first in-person event since 2019, to coincide with the night’s Super Moon, with 215 guests helping raise around $175,000. After a cocktail […]

The 65th Annual Carpinteria Community Awards
By Joanne A Calitri   |   April 23, 2024

The 65th Annual Carpinteria Community Awards Banquet took place on Saturday, April 6, at Girls Inc. of Carpinteria’s indoor gym.  Held annually since 1958, the event was led by the newly formed Carpinteria Community Association [CCA], whose Board of Directors are President Karen Graf, Neil Bartlett, Bob Berkenmeier, Mary Ann Colson, Beth Cox, Gary Dobbins, […]

Girls Inc. of Carpinteria’s Annual Scholarship Awards
By Joanne A Calitri   |   April 16, 2024

Girls Inc. of Carpinteria’s annual awards event, Fuel Her Fire (formerly titled ‘Women of Inspiration’), was held on Thursday, April 4, at their Carpinteria campus gym. Over 200 people joined to congratulate the scholarship winners and the local honorees.  The scholarship awards are presented to girls who are members of the local organization and have […]

Girls Inc of Greater SB & Girls Inc Carpinteria Working to Keep Our Girls & Teens Strong, Smart, and Bold
By Joanne A Calitri   |   April 11, 2023

This is the motto of Girls Inc, founded in 1864 as a movement called the Girls Club of America in Waterbury, CT, and tasked itself to help young women migrating from rural areas to find a job after the Civil War. Fourteen charter clubs were joined into a national organization [1945] by Rachel Harris Johnson, and changed […]

Girls Inc. and Cox Communications Partner for 3rd Annual “Operation Holiday Cheer”
By Montecito Journal   |   November 22, 2022

Girls Inc. of Carpinteria is bringing back their wintery gift-giving event, Operation Holiday Cheer. Launched in 2020 and presented by Cox Communications, this program brings gifts and some holiday spirit to local girls and their families that are experiencing economic hardships resulting from the pandemic.  “We are proud to host our 3rd Annual Operation Holiday […]

Girls Inc. Hosts Bloomington Gala
By Montecito Journal   |   October 11, 2022

Community members were draped in elegance for the Girls Inc. of Carpinteria gala, Bloomington: A Jane Austen Era Affair, held on Saturday, September 24 at the Girls Inc. campus on Foothill Road. This year’s event honored “the diamond of the season,” Carpinteria resident Kevin Baird, for his dedication to local girls through his many years […]

Women of Inspiration
By Lynda Millner   |   May 3, 2022

Girls Inc. of Carpinteria celebrated empowering women and girls at its annual Women of Inspiration luncheon recently. And what could be a more powerful example than a NASA rocket scientist, Tracy Van Houten, to give the keynote speech? Tracy is a lead engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). She calls herself a STEMinist (Science, […]

An Evening in Bloom
By Lynda Millner   |   October 12, 2021

The 1920s came roaring into Carpinteria to the Girls Inc. facility recently for their annual “An Evening in Bloom” fundraiser. Two-hundred folks dug into their closets and found furs and feathers, ropes of pearls, glitter and glam, even a gentleman in a real raccoon coat that his family owned. There was a gambling casino (proceeds […]

Extraordinary Moment: SB Polo & Racquet Club Makes Welcomed Return
By Richard Mineards   |   May 13, 2021

Crowds of members packed the clubhouse and tiered seating at the Santa Barbara Polo and Racquet Club when the Carpinteria equestrian facility opened its doors for the first time in more than a year after the pandemic restrictions were eased. “This really is an extraordinary moment,” said club manager David Sigman. “It couldn’t have been […]

Let’s Hear it for the Girls
By Richard Mineards   |   January 14, 2021

Having completed five years leading Girls Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara, Barbara Ben-Horin is leaving the pro-girl nonprofit. Since joining the organization in January 2016 it has expanded its Teen Center programming, overhauled its emergency planning, and advanced its advocacy efforts on behalf of girls’ rights and opportunities. “I deeply believe in Girls Inc.’s vision […]

Up to the Challenge
By Lynda Millner   |   October 29, 2020

Girls Inc. of Carpinteria hosted its eighth annual “An Evening in Bloom” but with a different twist this year and the community “showed” up. Their bold goal was $250,000. So far they are just over $230,000 and still counting! The usually elegant affair at the Girls Inc. campus was quiet this year because of the […]

Montecito Firefighters Donate AEDs
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   July 23, 2020

The Montecito Firefighters Charitable Foundation (MFCF) has donated two Automated External Defibrillator (AED) machines and response kits to Girls Inc. of Carpinteria. AED machines are portable, life-saving devices designed to treat people experiencing sudden cardiac arrest. According to the FDA, the combination of CPR and early defibrillation is effective in saving lives when used in […]