Santa Barbara, Goleta, Montecito, Carpinteria
Below are ways parents and kids can give back to our community.
SBParent.com believes strongly in families giving back to their community by volunteering their time and making donations. Families can make a difference in their community without it necessarily being a big time commitment or expense. Set an example for your children by demonstrating different ways to give, through donating toys and clothes or by helping serve meals during the holidays. You will be teaching your children empathy and compassion.
Click on our NON-PROFIT RESOURCE Directory for a complete list of agencies.
You may not be able to help the whole world, but you can make a difference in your own community. --Elizabeth P. Carter
The American Red Cross Masters of Disaster curriculum uses fun and engaging activities to educate children grades K-8 about the science and safety behind natural disasters. Our presentations are offered to local organizations and schools free of charge and cover topics like earthquakes, fires, floods, and general preparedness.
Currently we are recruiting volunteers to become trained as presenters for our program. Contact us today about availability and training!
The American Red Cross is a charitable organization - not a government agency - and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its humanitarian mission.
Angels was established to offer excellent foster homes and stabilize babies, meeting the growing demand for licensed foster homes in Santa Barbara County. We are looking for families that reside within Santa Barbara County that are willing to foster or foster-adopt an infant or toddler. Angels parents agree to keep the child until reunification with the birth parents or adoption occurs. A twelve-month commitment is usual.
Angels Foster Care of Santa Barbara is a non-profit charity that recruits, screens and trains foster parents in Santa Barbara County to care for infants and toddlers. In Santa Barbara County last year, 200 children were sent out of our community due to a lack of foster homes and/or services. Our families take only one child or sibling group at a time, must have a stay-at-home parent, and keep the child until he/she is out of the dependency system to avoid moving the child around. This encourages normal bonding and the children are stable, loved and cared for. Angels is entirely funded by grants and individual donations. Your support is greatly appreciated.
Volunteers are our valuable partners who assist in all areas of Art From Scrap. Adults, high school and college students, business groups, and those needing community service hours or participating in Teen Court are welcome.
Business Partners sponsor the AFS School Materials Program. This program offers "Reuse" supplies to teachers for free or at a low cost - saving on school budgets and incorporating the concept of "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" into local schools.
Pre-approved donations of clean and safe re-useable materials from businesses and individuals. Donations reduce your disposal costs, keep items out of the landfill, and are tax-deductible.
Art From Scrap is an independent 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization.
• Green Schools is the environmental education program with a focus on waste diversion, water quality and school gardens, serving over 12,000 students and teachers throughout Santa Barbara County by presenting over 600 in-class lessons and field trips to Art From Scrap, the Recycling Center, the Watershed Resource Center and creek sites each year.
• AFS Reuse Store provides an innovative solution to the lack of funds for the arts, while also decreasing the amount of trash going to the landfill, by supplying low-cost, recycled materials to schools, community organizations, families and the general public.
• Community Art activities expand opportunities for children and adults to explore their creativity through art workshops at the AFS Art Center, professional art shows in the AFS Gallery, and partnerships with community organizations to conduct free art activities at their events and festivals.
Assistance League of Santa Barbara seeks funds from contributions and grants. The funds are used for our philanthropic projects. We are a 501(3)(c) corporation and your contribution is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Donations may be made at any time by cash, check payable to Assistance League of Santa Barbara, Visa or Mastercard.
Donations of new and used items ranging from clothing to furniture are gratefully accepted during business hours at our Assistance Shop located at our Chapter headquarters.
Assistance League of Santa Barbara is a nonprofit all volunteer organization that develops and implements projects to benefit children and adults in Santa Barbara County.
Assistance League of Santa Barbara and its auxiliaries, Las Aletas and Assisteens®, currently sponsor 13 philanthropic projects, which continue to enhance and expand to meet the needs of our community. These projects are funded entirely through donations, grants and proceeds from our Assistance Shop located on Veronica Springs Road in Santa Barbara.
See how you can get involved... Operation School Bell, Teen School Bell, Bear H.U.G.S., Kids on the Block, Fun in the Sun, Fostering Friends, SB Smiles, Family Learning Program, Very Improved Performers, Operation Bookshelf, The Little Cottage, Friendship Luncheon, Hillside House.
Volunteer opportunities mainly involve child care and transportation. Without our volunteers, we would not be able to provide free child care while parents are receiving treatment. It is a very important service that helps enable families to get the treatment that they need. An additional need we have is for volunteers to drive clients to and from their therapy appointments. Also, periodically, there are special community events. At those events, our volunteers staff tables in the community and dispense information regarding CALM's mission and services. All of the assignments that our volunteers so generously provide make a difference.
CALM (Child Abuse Listening and Mediation) is the only private non-profit agency in Santa Barbara county whose sole mission is to prevent, assess, and treat child abuse by providing comprehensive, culturally appropriate services for children, adults and families.
CALM's GOALS are to:
* IDENTIFY and reach stressed parents in order to prevent child abuse or its reoccurrence.
* PROVIDE effective treatment and support services for victims and offenders.
* TEACH children how to keep themselves safe from abuse.
* EDUCATE the public about child abuse - its causes and cures.
CALM's services are provided by credentialed psychologists, psychiatrist, marriage & family therapists, and licensed clinical social workers. CALM's administrative support staff and trained volunteers--all work under the direction of Executive Director Anna M. Kokotovic, Ph.D.
CHALLENGER Little League Adaptive Baseball for boys and girls with Special Needs: Players, Volunteers, Fans and donations for player scholarships Welcomed!
Serving ALL boys and girls with physical, intellectual and developmental disabilities throughout communities of: Gaviota, Goleta, Santa Barbara, Carpinteria, Summerland, Ojai, Saticoy, Santa Paula, Fillmore, Piru and Ventura.
Men and women of all ages are needed in almost every department of the hospital. Dedication, a desire to help others, and a few hours each week is all we ask. Most people volunteer to be helpful to others but find the experience to be rewarding and inspirational to themselves.
As a volunteer you will become a part of the very foundation of Cottage Health System. Your time, your skills, and your compassion help Cottage provide the best care for our community.
Volunteer opportunities are available to everyone who is at least 14 years of years of age and eager to become a part of the healthcare team at Cottage Health System.
Special event volunteer opportunities available, too.
Donations for capital campaign as well as gifts for patients that are in original packaging are accepted.
Cottage Health System, formed in 1996 as the not-for-profit parent organization of Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital (including Cottage Children's Hospital), Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital, and Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital is guided by a volunteer board of directors from the greater Santa Barbara community and provides the residents of the Central and South Coast with exemplary health care, continuous improvements in medical practice, and a commitment to our communities.
Kids can visit Direct Relief's headquarters for a tour and video overview of Direct Relief. Volunteer opportunities include assembling dental kits or personal care packs for local families.
Kids can also raise money by doing fundraising projects.
Direct Relief International provides medical assistance to improve the quality of life for people victimized by poverty, disaster, and civil unrest at home and throughout the world. We work to strengthen the in-country health efforts of our partners by providing essential material resources - medicines, supplies and equipment.
The following donations would help support DVS's programs for women and children: area rugs, bath towels/rugs, collapsible port-a cribs, dustbuster, art supplies for children fun, learning toys for children, children's books, tickets to places such as Natural History Museum, Sea Center, Botanic Gardens, Art from Scrap, etc.
Volunteer opportunities are available for individuals.
Clubs or groups can volunteer together at a one-day work party or sponsor a holiday party.
Domestic Violence Solutions for Santa Barbara County works to end the intergenerational cycle of domestic violence by providing prevention and intervention services and by challenging society's attitudes, beliefs and behaviors to effect social change.
DVS is dedicated to providing safe and confidential shelter for battered women and their children throughout Santa Barbara County. We provide emotional support and personal advocacy to battered women and other women in crisis, enabling them to recognize strengths and resources within themselves. We encourage women to be empowered to be free to make choices. We play a leadership role in effecting social change by educating the community, by associations with other social change groups and by supporting the work of women's rights organizations.
Dreams
Office
Volunteers in Santa Barbara
Office interns - Nationwide
Dream Foundation is the first and largest national nonprofit wish-granting organization for adults with life-limiting illnesses. Our mission is to enhance the quality of life for individuals and their families who are battling progressive and irreversible illnesses.
The Family Care Network is in need of caring individuals interested in making a life-changing impact by providing stable and loving foster care to children and youth in Santa Barbara and the surrounding area. There are many benefits to serving as a foster parent with the Family Care Network, including being monetarily compensated, being provided with excellent training and support and experiencing the joy of making an invaluable difference in the life of a child or youth. Without caring people such as our foster parents, the Family Care Network could not achieve its mission to enhance the lives of those in need living in our community.
Our community is a vital part of the agency's success. If you would like to support foster and high-needs children and families in our community, please contact us for more information on how you can become a foster parent or volunteer. Volunteer positions include: tutors, mentors, administrative volunteers and event volunteers. If you have a passion to help children and families, please let us know!
The Family Care Network is a private, nonprofit children and families services provider. Established in 1987 for the purpose of creating family-based treatment programs as an alternative to group home or institutional care for children and youth, the agency, accredited by the California Alliance of Child and Family Services, operates multiple programs designed to strengthen and preserve families and individuals. The agency's programs have grown to serve over 1,800 foster and high-needs children, youth and families annually in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties through 17 distinct programs in five service divisions, including: 1) Therapeutic Foster Care; 2) Family Support Services; 3) Transitional Housing Services; 4) Early Intervention and Prevention Services; and 5) Community-Linked Services. The Family Care Network's programs are designed to strengthen and preserve families and individuals, and are delivered in partnership with numerous governmental agencies, community-based organizations, schools, churches, local businesses and volunteers. The mission of the Family Care Network is "to enhance the wellbeing of children and families in partnership with our community."
Our annual holiday fundraising drive is currently under way. Community support is critical to the operation of our low-fee clinic.
We also need a volunteer receptionist to answer phones and greet new clients at various times during weekdays.
We are a public non-profit counseling agency serving the needs of families, couples, and individuals for the past 29 years.
“Transforming lives by sharing the gift of mobility with the physically disabled poor in developing countries as motivated by Jesus Christ”.
TWENTY SEVEN YEARS AGO, the sight of a crippled Moroccan woman crawling across a dirt road planted a seed that germinated in 1999 when Don Schoendorfer, founder of Free Wheelchair Mission, invested his education and professional expertise as a PhD Mechanical Engineer to create a simple, rugged, and inexpensive wheelchair. The mental picture of the crawling woman's anguish and loss of dignity had haunted him for years until God opened a path for Dr. Schoendorfer.
The chairs are distributed free to those in need, regardless of one's religious affiliation if any. Click on website for more information about how you can purchase a wheelchair and send a gift card to someone you are honoring with this donation.
Life Network provides abstinence education and helps pregnant teens and single mothers get counseling, birth education, and housing as they carry their babies to term. Monetary donations are always welcome. If you have items to donate, please contact them in advance.
The vision of Life Network is that the compassion, mercy and love of God be expressed to any women experiencing an unplanned pregnancy. As such, our mission is to provide practical and life-affirming solutions to any woman in such a crisis through our free pregnancy tests, counseling, housing, and education programs. It is our commitment to provide these services in the context of compassionate care and confidentiality, respecting the value of each woman who seeks us out. We recognize the difficult decisions young women face in unplanned pregnancies and desire to provide the best possible information on her options.
Assist with speaker and facility acquisition and event details for programs held four times a year.
Lunch and Learn Seminars hosted quarterly for community parents, professionals and individuals who support our population of special needs citizens.
We connect kids with children in other countries and set up pen pal exchanges.
We are a service that connects teachers & students with classes in other countries (K-12).
Click on our site for great ideas.
Donate yarn to this wonderful group of women that crochet blankets for children who are hospitalized. You can also make a blanket and donate it to your local chapter where it will be given to a deserving child. Blankets need to be new, handmade and washable.
Project Linus is a 100% volunteer non-profit organization with a two-fold mission:
First, it is our mission to provide love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need through the gifts of new, handmade blankets and afghans, lovingly created by volunteer "blanketeers."
Second, it is our mission to provide a rewarding and fun service opportunity for interested individuals and groups in local communities, for the benefit of children.
The foundation inspires people to practice kindness and to "pass it on" to others. They provide free education and community ideas, guidance and other resources to kindness participants on the site.
You can support SB Rape Crisis Center (SBRCC) by contributing your time, skills, money, or services to our efforts to create a violence-free community. Volunteer opportunities include Crisis Intervention Advocacy, Long-term Counseling, Office Support, Speaker's Bureau, Newsletter Staff, and Fundraising.
Santa Barbara Rape Crisis Center is a private, non-profit agency that has provided counseling, crisis intervention, and support services to survivors of sexual assault and their families since 1974.
Santa Barbara Rape Crisis Center provides crisis intervention, counseling, advocacy and support in order to heal and empower sexual assault survivors, their family members and friends; and community education and prevention programs to increase the awareness, empathy and understanding necessary to effect the attitudinal and behavioral changes which are essential to the elimination of sexual assault.
We need funding to ensure that our 8-week vocal jazz workshops to 5th and 6th graders can continue in our local elementary schools.
VocalPoint, the 12 member a capella vocal jazz ensemble, presents vocal jazz to all public schools. We are dedicated to bringing vocal jazz singing, music education and jazz history, to the children of Santa Barbara. We need funding to ensure that our 8-week vocal jazz workshops to 5th and 6th graders can continue in our local elementary schools.
Special Olympics Santa Barbara invites families to host their own fundraising event on behalf of Special Olympics Santa Barbara. Kids can host a sports party or sports movie night and creatively raise money for Special Olympics. Adults can host a wine and cheese night fundriaser inviting friends. Host a brown-bag lunch day at the office and donate the cost of your lunch. All ideas and donations welcome.
Contact Sara Spataro, Regional Director, at 805-884-1516 or sspataro@sosc.org for third party fundraising guidelines.
Special Olympics provides year-round sports training and compeition opporunities for children, teens and adults with intellectual disabilities which improve self-esteem, physical fitness and work readiness. Athletes experience the joy of participation and friendship with other Special Oympics athletes, volunteers and community members.
To volunteer contact Ali Sprott-Roen at 805-884-1516 or aroen@sosc.org
Get involved by becoming a volunteer helping with fundraisers, events, programs, operations. Make a financial donation or sponsor a family. During the holidays, you can help wrap gifts, make cards and decorations for our families. Even small donations such as phone cards, gas cards, disposable cameras, travel-sized toiletry items, and food & restaurant gift certificates make a big difference.
With the holiday season approaching us quickly we would like to ask all Parents, Individuals and Local Business Owners to sponsor a child and donate a gift at the $25.00 price range (or a gift card). This is a wonderful opportunity for you, your family or business to give back to other families less fortunate while bringing a little holiday magic to the season.
If you are interested, you can be matched with a boy or girl in your preferred age group; please contact me by phone or e-mail.
Tax I.D. #14-1872081
The Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation is committed to assisting families of children suffering from various forms of cancer. The mission of the Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation is to ensure that children with cancer receive the undivided comfort of their parents during the treatment and recovery process. We provide financial assistance, support groups, financial management and planning and activities for children and their families. We also do endurance training for the body and mind during and after treatment.
Most needed foods: Milk, Canned Corn, Cereal, Canned Tuna, Pasta, Canned Peaches, Chickens, Canned Tomatoes, Baby Food, Chicken & Vegetable Soup, Peanut Butter, Pinto Beans and Rice.
Most needed clothing: Jeans, T-Shirts, Coats, Sweat Shirts, Sweaters, Shoes, Blouses
Senior Needs: Pajamas, House Coats, Slippers, Sweaters, Sweat Shirts, Sweaters, Handkerchiefs, Powder, Radios, Clocks, Robes, Chocolate Candy
*DROP OFF DONATIONS AT 1236 CHAPALA ST SANTA BARBARA, CA 93101*
Great opportunities to volunteer with your children and help local families in need!
The Unity Shoppe is a 501 (c)(3) Public Benefit Corporation that encourages self-sufficiency and independence by providing education and the necessities of life to families, children, seniors and persons with disabilities during periodic times of crisis. These necessities are provided in a dignified manner without regard to political affiliation, religious belief or ethnic identity.
Services provided by the Unity Shoppe include a "free" grocery store and a "free" clothing store.
The Unity Shoppe Gift Shoppe, 1219 State St, sells new and gently used merchandise to support its programs.
Find more ways to give back on United Ways, Volunteer SBC.org (a website which puts volunteers in communication with organizations), or participate in our annual Day of Caring (a community-wide day of volunteering each September).
Soccer gear is collected and distributed world-wide throughout the year.
u2u collects AYSO and club soccer uniforms (cleats, shins etc.) and distributes them to Haiti, Africa and Mexico - working alongside redevelopment projects i.e. digging wells, building playgrounds etc.
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