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Source: Tyler Renner for People Assisting the Homeless
People Assisting The Homeless (PATH) Santa Barbara was awarded $50,000 for a new commercial van as part of the Women’s Fund of Santa Barbara’s recent grants to 10 local nonprofit agencies. The total of $750,000 in grants came from a record-breaking pool of member donations collected during 2020.
The PATH van is already being used to transfer client belongings, and collect and distribute donated food to agencies that feed people experiencing homelessness.
PATH Santa Barbara operates the former Casa Esperanza Interim Housing site, which provides a variety of services for neighbors experiencing homelessness that include employment, outreach, housing navigation, interim housing, and rapid rehousing.
Housing and Development Newsletter
» Casa Pacifica: $80,000 to fund an additional SAFTY mobile crisis counselor to respond to youth experiencing mental health emergencies.
» The Cecilia Fund: $50,000 to expand coverage of medical and dental costs for patients who have no other way to pay for needed care.
» Children & Family Resource Services: $100,000 to provide training and support for volunteer Promotores to become certified Family Health Navigators.
» Children’s Resource & Referral of Santa Barbara County: $100,000 to expand child care capacity by supporting more women to become licensed child care providers.
» Doctors Without Walls - Santa Barbara Street Medicine: $60,000 to sustain the daytime outreach specialist providing medical and mental health services to the homeless.
Housing and Development Newsletter
The Women’s Fund will announce the new recipients at a Virtual Celebration of Grants to be held online, 5 p.m. Wednesday, May 5.
“This exciting event will provide a virtual window into the ongoing work and valuable service of the nonprofit organizations that Women’s Fund members voted to support following our rigorous independent research process,” Karlson said.
The virtual event is free and open to Women’s Fund members, their guests, and the public. Register to attend at https://www.womensfundsb.org/event/celebration-grants-1 or visit the Women’s Fund website www.womensfundsb.org.
Once registered, attendees will receive a link to access the live virtual event by computer or a mobile device. The event will also be recorded.
Housing and Development Newsletter
“In joining the Santa Barbara Foundation as a trustee I aim to broaden the scope of my community involvement,” said Rowe. “SBF devotes its resources to tackling the most pressing needs within our community, and I wanted to be a part of shaping and delivering that key service. Santa Barbara County has been a wonderful place for my family and me to live, and I feel strongly about giving back and making it a better place for all of its residents.”
Rowe is a financial advisor and certified investment management analyst, with a bachelor of commerce and bachelor of laws from Monash University, Australia. He was born and raised in Melbourne, Australia, where he practiced law for a brief period before immigrating to the U.S. in 2000.
Some organizations, such as the Santa Barbara Foundation and United Way of Santa Barbara County, have been giving direct aid to families affected by job loss. In addition, the shutdown has significantly hurt the arts, music and museums.
This year, please give special thought to creating an intentional and creative plan for your charitable giving by designing your own giving plan that reflects your values and passion.
Identify why you are giving and which causes stir your soul.
People make charitable donations for all sorts of reasons. Some believe passionately in a particular cause and want to do all they can to make a difference. Others donate because giving is a deeply held family tradition. Some businesses make charitable donations because they know it will draw customers while benefiting their community.