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| Save The Date |
May 5, 2009
6:00 pm to 10:00 pm
2009 Annual
Awards at Four Season's Biltmore
September 19, 2009
18th Annual Day of Caring
Page Youth Center - "PYC, the place to be!"
October 10, 2009
Red Feather Ball at Fess Parker's DoubleTree Resort
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Did you know Californians dedicate approximately 898 million hours of community service each year? Be a part of this national strength with one of United Way's exciting service opportunities!
The website VolunteerSBC.org connects community members with volunteer opportunities at local nonprofit, school, faith-based, service and government organizations and programs. "Volunteer Santa Barbara County" is sponsored by First 5 of Santa Barbara County, The Orfalea Fund, SBParent.com and United Way of Santa Barbara County.
 Currently,
The site features over 250 volunteer opportunities from nearly 150 organizations, including local Boys & Girls Clubs, Santa Barbara Botanic Gardens, and Santa Ynez Valley Senior Citizens Foundation.
In addition to posting and finding volunteer opportunities, the website also offers:
- The ability to nominate outstanding volunteers for recognition as a VolunteerSBC.org Volunteer of the Week.
- "Board Connections" which lists Board of Directors opportunities and "Product Connections".
- Contact information for individuals and student, civic and corporate volunteer groups to start planning their part in Day of Caring 2009 on September 19.
- A donation page allowing community members who wish to financially support programs and services.
- Volunteer Matching Network is a "California Hub" - these local volunteer connector organizations are the backbone of the statewide system.
- VolunteerSBC.org also partners with the Non-Profit Support Center to educate organizations and individuals on volunteerism and service.
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Young Leaders Society
Partners With Santa Barbara Public Library to Encourage Child Literacy!
Approximately 20% of U.S. children experience substantial difficulties in learning to read, with more than a third reading below the basic level. To encourage literacy development in Santa Barbara children, United Way's Young Leaders Society is participating in Day of the Child, hosted by the Santa Barbara Central Library.
This free public event will feature a range of activities for children such as bilingual story time, music, face painting, and more, with free books distributed to attending children. With the help of Young Leaders Society volunteers, children will also have the opportunity to craft their own bookmarks.
Young Leaders Society is a group formed by United Way of Santa Barbara County and local business volunteers. The Society is geared towards young motivated professionals who want to get involved in their community and gain professional development through a variety of volunteer opportunities, networking events, and leadership training.
Please consider YLS for volunteer and sponsorship opportunities.
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Fun in the Sun Lunch Bunch Looking for a Few Great Mentors!
United Way understands the importance of positive role models in a child's life and will be hosting the annual Fun in the Sun Lunch Bunch program to connect caring adults with local at risk children. Spend your lunch in a fun, educational atmosphere, all while serving as a role model. Volunteer as an individual or coordinate a team, the most important thing is getting to know the kids and letting them know that you care about their future.
This year, we look forward to adding new learning opportunities, such as Financial Literacy with Wells Fargo and Montecito Bank & Trust, Environmental Education with Sempra Energy, typing and internet safety, more field trips to local college campuses, and more! These recent partnerships and program additions are sure to leave a lasting impression on our local children.
 We are currently recruiting new and old volunteers at Lunch Bunch, our one-hour lunchtime mentoring program at each site from June 29 to August 6. To learn more about Lunch Bunch, and how to reserve a day or week with your organization, please contact Jenny Lewallen at 965-8581 x138 or email jlewallen@unitedwaysb.org. |
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Day of Caring 2009 Focuses on Youth Involvement!
Individuals, families, students and corporate groups, are encouraged to take part in United Way's 18th Annual Day of Caring, to be held September 19, 2009. Last year we had over 1,000 volunteers and most of the kids that participated came with their families. This year, one of our goals is to encourage youth to get involved in their community by either creating a worksite with thier school, church or teen center, or recruiting excited, proactive volunteer teams!
Students volunteer at last year's Day of Caring!
As the largest single-day volunteering event in the Tri-Counties, Day of Caring is a great way to get involved with the community and local non-profits to make a difference for those in need. In just four hours, over 1,000 volunteers will work at over 50 charity sites throughout Santa Barbara to achieve $200,000 worth of results.
Though the event is not until September, there are ways to get involved now. To sign-up for Day of Caring, become a sponsor, form a team, or create an agency worksite, contact Juli Askew at jaskew@unitedwaysb.org or find us on Facebook!
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United Way of Santa Barbara County Helps Students Create Games That Generate Opportunity!
La Cumbre Middle School Student Playing Jeapordy!
United Way of Santa Barbara County is working with students from Dos Pueblos High School to create "Jeopardy"-style buzzers for middle school classrooms to increase participation in learning for students and the younger students experience a new excitement and learning opportunity in the classroom, as they play the games in friendly academic competition. The first 'game show' using the devices was held at a 7th grade math class at La Cumbre Middle School on Thursday, April 9th at 1 p.m.
Building the game apparatus from scratch also gives the Santa Barbara County Education Office Regional Occupational Program (ROP) students at Dos Pueblos the opportunity to learn electronics skills as they assemble the devices - and self-esteem and confidence as they see their work being put to use right in their own community.
The idea for the devices came from La Cumbre Junior High School principal JoAnn Caines as a way to make learning fun and leverage kids' natural sense of competition in the classroom. United Way staff approached longtime volunteer, retired engineer Bob Uradnicek, with the concept. Uradnicek brought his engineering approach to the table - he designed and created a prototype device, a master control connecting a network of lights and buzzer for eight-student rounds, as they vie to show they have the correct answer first.
After Uradnicek's original design was completed, United Way enlisted the help of Al Soenke, Regional Occupational Program teacher at Dos Pueblos High School to expand the project to include high school students - this time on the engineering side. Soenke taught his students soldering and other valuable skills needed to assemble the devices. Many of the students came in on Saturdays to complete the devices. Currently, United Way has 25 devices to deliver throughout the school district.
United Way is supporting this program by providing the components for the students to build the devices and bringing together the team of school leadership, staff and especially United Way volunteer Bob Uradnicek to start up and continue this unique program.
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United Way of Santa Barbara County Disburses Tea Fire Response Fund Checks
The tea fire was devastating. For my roommate, business partner and I it caused a total interruption of every aspect of our lives and projects we had in motion at the time. We lost all our design and other tools from two separate music and art studios as well as the equipment used to implement designs.
The support we've received from the Tea Fire Response Fund has made a huge impact in our lives as it allowed us to purchase the most important tools necessary to complete projects already in motion and generate new work and income.
In gratitude,
A Tea Fire Survivor
In an ongoing effort to help survivors of the November 2008 wildfire in the foothills of Santa Barbara and Montecito, the Santa Barbara Tea Fire Response Fund disbursed $148,870 to 41 fire victims. This marks the the second of four distributions of donated funds.
To date, the Tea Fire Response Fund, a collaborative community partnership organized by United Way of Santa Barbara County, has received more than $434,000 in donations to aid the survivors of the Tea Fire. George Leis, president and CEO of Santa Barbara Bank & Trust, noted that this aid is the result of the community's generosity. "We are grateful to all those who have generously donated to the fund, the dedicated volunteer committee members, and the organizations that have made it possible for 100 percent of the funds to go directly to those affected by the fire," he said in a prepared statement released Thursday. "This assistance will go a long way in helping these individuals rebuild their lives."
In February, 21 individuals received funds from the first disbursement, which totaled $77,203. The Tea Fire Response Fund will distribute the remaining funds - which total over $200,000 - before Dec. 31 of this year. Paul Didier, president and CEO of the United Way of Santa Barbara County, said people who qualify for the aid might not be aware of the Tea Fire Response Fund or may not have applied yet. "We don't want to miss anyone who is deserving of this assistance."
To qualify for assistance, individuals apply for Tea Fire funds at the Red Cross located at 2707 State Street. There, they fill out a four-page form identifying their needs and the approximate amount of monetary loss. A professional disaster case manager at the Red Cross will work with applicants and review their requests. Applications approved by the case manager are then sent to a subcommittee of 13 volunteer public and private organizations.
Recommendations from the subcommittee are then reviewed by an eight-member oversight committee of local community leaders. Requests at any step of the review process can be sent back for further investigation. The three-tiered screening process ensures that only those who lived in the area of the fire and who suffered loss because of the fire receive the funds. Didier said the average disbursement checks range from $100-$10,000, with the average check being $3,500-$4,000 per person. The next meeting of the Oversight Committee is scheduled for June 5. For questions, please call Joel Goforth at 965-8591 x 136, or email jgoforth@unitedwaysb.org. |
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Power of Partnership Initiative Welcomes Members to Final Report Editorial Board
The Power of Partnership Strategies and Tactics are currently being formalized by the community. As the Master Action Plans are being written, the community is already anticipating the results. Even before the completion of the POPI process, we are experiencing successes along the way.
El Puente High School Principal Cecilia Molina with Professor Hymon Johnson of Antioch University
One example of these successes was Professor Hymon Johnson, professor emeritus at Antioch University, who was invited to address 70 at risk El Puente High School students at La Casa de la Raza, on the importance of loving themselves and then those around them. El Puente's Principal, Cecilia Molina, became aware of Professor Johnson and his abilities when both of them became members of the POPI Final Report Editorial Board. She extended an invitation for Professor Johnson to speak to the students. A further invitation is now being extended to Professor Johnson to come to the school on a regular basis and address tolerance on an up close and personal basis
For more information, please contact the Power of Partnership Initiative staff at popi@unitedwaysb.org or Jerry Bellamy, Initiative Project Leader at (805) 882-0503.
Connect - Create - Change
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Best Buy Opens New Store in Goleta!
United Way is happy to announce that Best Buy will open a new store in Goleta on May 15th. Best Buy is a strong national partner of United Way. Last year Best Buy employee and corporate United Way gifts totaled $7,862,500 in the United States!
Goleta Best Buy Manager Chris Moyer said, "We are extremely proud that as we enter the Goleta and Santa Barbara area, we have been given an opportunity to support United Way and help make an impact in the local community. We are looking forward to helping out now but more importantly, we are looking forward to maintaining a strong future relationship with the United Way."
We hope you will all join us in welcoming our new partner to our community. The Grand Opening will be on May 15th and will include a special community investment ceremony that involves United Way.
Please email Juli Askew for a usable version of the coupon shown above!
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United Way of Santa Barbara County Presents
86th Annual Awards Celebration!
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
6:00 pm Cocktail Hour
7:00 pm Dinner, Awards & Dancing
Partially Sponsored by
Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore
$75 per person
$700 per table of 10
Juli Askew at 805-965-8594
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SBParent.com and United Way of Santa Barbara County would like to hear YOUR stories of how you and your family members give back to our community!
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