Mary Olsen has become an expert at living in the moment. As the General Manager at KCLU, the public news station licensed by California Lutheran University and a National Public Radio (NPR) affiliate, Olsen must remain attentive and flexible. “When you’re in the news business, you’re constantly in the moment. It doesn’t matter what you have scheduled for production. When news breaks, everything else goes out the window,” Olsen laughs. “It’s all about that moment. Olsen’s desire to live in the moment is what has kept her in the world of independent radio. After leaving a lucrative position in the television industry, she dove into her role with the fledgling radio station in 1994. She traded her office for an abandoned classroom of the lobby of the freshmen dormitory. She hasn’t looked back. “I just love public radio and I’m a lifetime listener. I think local news is so important,” Olsen says. “With what’s going on in the world today—healthcare, education, the Middle East—you can’t cover that in a 30- to 60-second sound bite like the popular news channels. Public radio is committed to really telling the stories internationally, nationally, and in the local communities.” Local news has grown increasingly scarce. A handful of conglomerates now control the majority of new sources throughout the United States. Independent media fills a void that national media overlooks. “At KCLU, sure, we carry the international news programs but we’re deeply committed to local feature stories and breaking news. We have feet on the street every day, and when there is a mudslide, or the earth is shaking. That’s what we’re covering. When there is a fire burning on the hillside, the community should not be hearing Kanye West’s latest single on the air. When they listen to a radio station, they...

Youth Making Change (YMC), a Fund for Santa Barbara program, empowers teens to create positive programs for their communities. A board of teen reviewers evaluates grant proposals submitted by fellow youth in the community. A total of $30,000 in grants is awarded each year to  projects that can help local youth thrive. The innovative organization recently received the Association of Fundraising Professionals of Santa Barbara and Ventura County Youth Philanthropists of the Year award. Yardi caught up with Cristina González, Regional Program Manager and YMC coordinator at the Fund, to celebrate the nonprofit’s success. “To be selected by our philanthropic peers and the community is a wonderful acknowledgment of the impact YMC teens are making throughout Santa Barbara County, both as grant-makers and grant recipients,” González says. The honor is deserved. Since 2008, YMC has awarded $157,500 to 90 youth-led groups throughout Santa Barbara County. The focus of each project varies, from scholarships for AP testing to environmental awareness workshops in low-income neighborhoods. For González, one particular project demonstrates the creativity and heart behind teen-led initiatives. While speaking at a support group for homeless and foster youth, González encouraged a few young attendees to pursue an idea that they had considered. Their plan for a teen-based support group for younger homeless and foster kids seemed like an activity that YMC could support. The teens would create welcome baskets for each new child who arrived at the shelter. With the support of their adviser, the teens would also host regular gatherings with the younger kids. The group could discuss what was happening in their lives, provide support and engage in fun learning activities while at the shelter. “In their interview, they shared that children look up to teens much more than adults sometimes,” begins González....

After the first few questions, I knew this was not going to be an interview like any other. I recently sat down with Denise Hinkle, Director of Development and Communications at Family Services Agency (FSA). We began with basic questions about the organization when one question seemed to stump us both. “What is one of your fastest growing programs, and can you tell me more about it?” I asked. Hinkle paused. “All of them.” She continued with more certainty. “It seems like all of the programs are growing for different reasons.” I soon learned that as Santa Barbara County continues to grow, the need for FSA’s diverse services seems to grow exponentially. For youth, FSA services include Big Brothers, Big Sisters, an international organization that pairs children with mentors. In an academic setting, School Counseling Services offers assistance for students with severe mental health needs, as well as therapists for school staff. Adults and families may participate in Family Support Services, which helps parents build healthy homes by overcoming stressors such as poverty, violence, mental illness and substance abuse. Youth and Family Behavioral Health provides in-home services for an array of familial concerns, including the prevention of out of home placement such as juvenile hall and foster care. For those in their golden years, Senior Services includes the long-term care Ombudsman Program that advocates for seniors’ well-being, and caregiver support resources. Hinkle has observed the growth of FSA for the past two years. “A lot of our family support services tend to grow when the economy is tanking out. Our Senior Services and Caregivers program is definitely going to take off due to the gray tsunami coming our way,” Hinkle laughs. “Big Brothers Big Sisters, is growing. There is such a need in Santa...

California-based nonprofit PathPoint specializes in building vital communities that foster independence, dignity and work for all residents. PathPoint equips individuals with disabilities or disadvantages with the tools needed to achieve self-sufficiency and pride. Employment, community access, residential and behavioral health services are just a few routes through which PathPoint fulfills its mission. One of the organization’s main areas of expansion is making technology more accessible for all. Participants in PathPoint’s South Santa Barbara County Community Access Program (CAP) work on goals in relation to socialization, communication, physical development, and many other independence enhancing areas. Since 2006, funding received from Yardi Systems has provided PathPoint’s programs with valuable tools that assist participants in achieving their goals. Currently PathPoint is working towards creating a comprehensive curriculum surrounding Assistive Technology. Lauren Alvarado, Foundation and Community Relations Specialist at PathPoint, explains the new technology program saying: “We are so fortunate to have knowledgeable, dedicated staff that are really passionate about using Assistive Technology to enhance the lives of the individuals we support. Our South Santa Barbara location is piloting and implementing a training program for staff, teaching them how to use the devices and creating individualized plans for each participant to help them reach their personal goals.” The devices used vary by the need of each participant. Stephanie Boumediene, Vice President of Development at PathPoint, has witnessed how seemingly simply devices can make a huge impact on the community. “Many of our clients are non-verbal” says Boumediene. “The equipment not only gives them the ability to communicate with their families and access the Internet, it ultimately opens the possibility to being an active member of the broader community. It also allows the community to meet them as well.” This project within the Community Access Program opens numerous doors...

The Foodbank of Santa Barbara County does great work every day to assist thousands of locals in need of food, nutrition or health education. Did you know that 1 in 4 Santa Barbara County residents receives aid from a Foodbank program each year? Those assisted include a range of case types, from critical need situations among the homeless, to children who do not have healthy food options at home, to fixed income seniors. Over the holiday season, Yardi’s Santa Barbara office was a major part of the Foodbank’s effort to raise funds, collect donations, harvest fresh fruit, and enhance awareness of the non-profit. Yardi was a top performer in the 2015 Corporate Challenge campaign, which saw 13 local companies participate. Thanks to the efforts of our employees, Yardi contributed 2,776 pounds of food, 127 turkeys, and made a significant financial contribution to the Foodbank. All told, the efforts made possible a total of over 280,958 meals for local families in need. Food collected by Yardi employees comprised over 30 percent of everything collected during the Corporate Challenge event. “Yardi continues to step up every year. The company has been participating in the corporate challenge for a few years now, but this year was by far the largest participation, with a lot of excitement around the event,” said Misha Garrison, The Foodbank’s Development Manager. Employees donated funds and food, rallied others on their teams to join in contributing to the cause, volunteered their time to pick fruit for the Foodbanks’ Backyard Bounty program, raised money at the holiday bake sale, and much more. Year-round need While it is a natural inclination to think of the Foodbank’s mission during the holiday season, the truth is that the non-profit needs volunteers and support all year long. Last year,...

Success came with an unexpected side effect for Lisette Fraser. After ten years in the addiction treatment industry, the small clinic where she worked had blossomed into a conglomeration of outpatient and residential care facilities throughout California. Fraser loved that more people were receiving care, but the immense growth left her feeling detached from herself and others. Fraser explains, “I wanted to get back to my roots. I enjoyed what I did with start-ups, the smaller treatment programs and the individualized attention I was able to give.” In June 2015, Fraser accepted the position of Executive Director at Casa Serena, a small treatment facility in Santa Barbara. With a total capacity of 32 clients, the center specializes in personalized care for women and their families. The position was the perfect fit. What appealed most to Fraser was the center’s emphasis on women. Fraser says, “Casa Serena is unique because it’s specifically targeted towards women and women’s issues that arise when struggling with addiction. I feel this is so important because there aren’t enough treatment programs that are gender specific. That, to me, is a very personal mission in terms of all of the underlying issues that accompany addiction for women.” Casa Serena provides a safe place for women to recover from drug and alcohol addiction. Clients are guided through the first 90 days of recovery in The Main House. They can then transition to The Graduate House or The Oliver House. In the latter, clients are able to live with and rebuild their relationships with their children. “A lot of women suffer the wreckage of the disease through the family and through the children,” observes Fraser. “They’ve either lost custody, have partial custody, or they’re trying to regain custody. So we help facilitate that...

If the name Catherine Remak seems familiar to you, you aren’t alone. She has been the voice of the KLITE 101.7 morning show for 23 years. The show allows her to relish in her passion for light rock while promoting many of the great organizations that serve Santa Barbara residents. It was through the radio show that Remak discovered the Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse (CADA). The organization strives to prevent alcoholism and drug abuse through education and public awareness. With CADA, community members gain access to intervention services, treatment, and support. More than 15 years after serving as a volunteer with CADA, Remak accepted her role as Director of Corporate Development and Communications. She is passionate about the numerous programs offered through CADA and has a difficult time deciding which program initially sparked her interest in the organization. “All of them,” Remak laughs. “But I’m really fond of our youth services, especially our Daniel Bryant Youth and Family Center which treats area youth with drug and alcohol issues with services to their families. A terrific program called Teen Court also operates out of the Center. It’s got a great success rate, with 85 percent of teens not reoffending. I’m also a fan of CADA Youth Service Specialists, our trained counselors who are on school campuses dealing with kids in a preventative way.” It is vital to present kids with education and preventative tactics. If they grow into teens or adults struggling with addition, they face one daunting obstacle to their wellbeing– themselves. “It’s tough,” says Remak. “When they’re in the throes of addiction, they don’t think that they need any help. Sometimes it requires an intervention.” Yet when a third party is involved, the likelihood of success may decrease. Remak says, “We...

Organizations throughout Santa Barbara strive to make the community an even better place to live. Easy Lift is one such organization that has provided affordable transportation for seniors, children, and the disabled since 1979. Transportatio n is a vital yet often overlooked need in our community. Yet for 363 days each year, it is Easy Lift’s top priority. When it comes to the lifestyle of a public servant, few foresee their future in private transportation. Ernesto Paredes, Executive Director of Easy Lift, was no exception. In 1991, as a recent USC School of Gerontology graduate, Paredes accepted a job in the transportation industry. He figured that he could use the experience before moving on to the next opportunity. Paredes recalls, “I thought, ‘Transportation isn’t the sexiest field out there but I’ll start with that, get a couple of years of experience and then move on.’ I’m still figuring out where my ‘move on’ position is!” he laughs. “I’m inching up on 24 years with the organization. I love what I do and I love who I do it for.” For Paredes, the who and why of public service has always been more important than the how. “It’s not the tires and oil changes that fire me up about being a part of this organization, though that is part of what we do,” he says. “I really like improving [clients’] quality of life. People want to be independent for all long as they can. They have an alternative where they can look to our Dial-A-Ride program and be as independent as possible.” Dial-A-Ride is an Easy Lift service that provides transportation to seniors who are unable to take advantage of Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District services. Fares are only $3.50 one way, offering seniors with...

Yardi CSD manager Terry Kelly and his wife Pam took the trip of a lifetime to Nepal this spring, but they weren’t on a typical tourist agenda. Instead, the focus of their visit was to volunteer at a pop-up health clinic, called a Health Camp, in the foothills of the Himalayas. The two-day medical outreach was organized by Project for a Village, a non-profit started by Kathy and Rene Perez-Silva. Terry Kelly and Rene Perez-Silva attended college together at Georgetown, and since the couple began their trips to Nepal four years ago, the Kellys were interested in lending a hand. After 22 hours of flight time (including 5 layovers) and wrangling 400 pounds of luggage that included medical supplies, they arrived in Kathmandu, Nepal’s capital. “We carried over 250 pounds of vitamins and de-worming pills to distribute to the mothers of the small children (enough vitamins for a year’s supply for each child). We also took multiple duffel bags full of essential medicines to treat the common complaints,” Terry Kelly explained. Prenatal vitamins and a health outreach project focused on preteen girls were also distributed. “Many Nepali people become dependent on foreign aid groups coming to their village to provide free doctors and medicine through health camps,” Kathy Perez-Silva relates in the Project for a Village blog. “The shortage of doctors is severe and the pay is so low that most of the doctors want to leave Nepal after they finish school to work in the West.” During the two days of clinic visits, 1,000 people were treated by 16 doctors, with assistance from nurses and translators. Many of the ailments were routine, including aches and pains from physical labor in the fields, and digestive discomfort connected to poor nutrition and spicy food. Up...

“Will I ever be normal again?” It’s not the sort of question you would expect from an eight-year-old. The counselor struggled with the answer. The young boy could feel normal again even after the passing of his mother. He could feel safe, happy, and hopeful. He just needed support, time, and the right tools. Since 1974, Hospice of Santa Barbara has equipped families with the tools needed to face the passing of a loved one or confront the end of life for themselves. The organization serves a diverse clientele, each struggling to face tragedy with a sense of peace. Steve Jacobsen, Executive Director, has found beauty in the human spirit’s quest to understand the meaning of life and death. “In hospice, when people are themselves facing the prospect of dying or the prospect of a loved one dying, that search for how to make sense of things becomes genuine,” says Steve. “I find it very moving to see how people come terms with things, when they do. There is a part of the beauty of the human spirit that becomes evident.” Hospice of Santa Barbara is the first of its kind on the west coast. After years of providing traditional hospice care, the organization developed a new method of operation. In 1990, it became a volunteer hospice that collaborates with professional nurses, doctors, caseworkers, and spiritual leaders to offer cost-free support to those in need. “[The medical] side of hospice comes with a lot of restrictions, regulations, and federal oversight that would cause us to be limited in what we could do for people,” Steve explains. “We don’t provide medical care and we don’t charge anybody for what we do which allows us to be involved as broadly and as deeply as the situation...

Sulzbacher Center is Northeast Florida’s largest provider of comprehensive services for homeless individuals.  The organization provides vital health, housing, educational, and career services to Jacksonville’s most vulnerable population. The organization adapts as the needs of the community change; what began as a center primary tailoring to chronically homeless men has expanded services to assist the growing number of homeless families. “We recently did a count in Jacksonville. While the amount of homeless veterans and chronically homeless individuals is going down in our city, the number of homeless families has increased,” says Allison Vega, Public Relations and Marketing Manager at Sulzbacher Center. The surge in homeless families began during the recession. “Families are often victims of crisis poverty,” begins Vega. “They lost jobs. They lost homes. They have nowhere else to go. This is the first time that they’ve ever been homeless. If you had asked me prior to the recession what had caused the majority of people to come to us, it would be substance abuse and mental health issues. Now, it’s overwhelmingly crisis poverty.” Sulzbacher Center created a family shelter with rooms that allow families to stay together. This facility houses about thirty families at any given time. Unfortunately, many families are placed on a waiting list. Families can obtain a variety of services through the center and its comprehensive campus of services. Primary care, dental, vision, and behavioral health specialists are on hand to provide on-site care. Families can seek counseling as individuals or as a group. Educational programming offers educational and emotional support to children who are facing one of the toughest phases in their lives. Though Sulzbacher Center has adapted to the increase in displaced families, the organization has not lost sight of its original demographic. The HOPE street team still makes...

According to the most recent report released by the Center for Disease Control, 22 percent of girls and 18 percent of boys in grades 9-12 reported being bullied at school. The National Association of School Psychologists estimates that is about 3.2 million children who face verbal and physical abuse at the hands of their peers. Although 71 percent of students report incidents of bullying as a problem at their school, most schools aren’t equipped to handle their concerns. Academy of Healing Arts (AHA! ) Santa Barbara hopes to change all of that, not just in local school districts but throughout the US. The organization strives to achieve its goal by beginning with those who bully and are bullied the most: school children. 67 percent of students believe that schools respond poorly to bullying and that adult help is often ineffective. By working directly with students, AHA! empowers youth to discourage bullying amongst themselves and become advocates of empathy and change. Molly Green, Development Director at AHA!, knows that strengthening the connection between children plays a key role in the solution to bullying. “If you’re connected to the person next to you, you’re less likely to harm them. Our program is always encouraging self-expression, empathy for the person next to you, and an understanding of commonality.” To forge these connections, AHA! staff creates counsel circles that bring together the bully, the person that was bullied, and anyone affected by the incident. Through a series of activities and conversations, students learn to share their circumstances, take responsibility for their actions, and learn how their actions impact other members of their community. AHA!’s principles are based on restorative approaches. Rather than punitive measures, like chastisement and expulsion, restorative approaches bring people together to connect, understand, and take...

The solution was obvious. If you can’t feed 100 people, then feed just one. It was a simple solution to a problem that didn’t exist. At least, that’s what Cheryl Jackson was told. As she educated on food insecurity in the area, many fellow residents pulled her aside to inform her that there were no hungry people in Plano, TX. “First, we had a problem educating people about the need. The need exists,” says Jackson. “They see people smiling but they don’t understand what could be going on in the background: if that smiling person earns minimum wage and they’re struggling to make ends meet or if they’re earning $11-12 per hour but that’s just not enough to support their families. Outside, everything can appear to be okay but people need help.” Jackson saw beyond the façade. In 2008, she pulled back the veil on food security and actively sought a solution by founding Minnie’s Food Pantry. She knew that the quality of food and consistency of availability would go a long way towards promoting health for North Texas families in need. She immediately sought out corporate sponsors and partnerships in addition to community contributions. Progress was slow at first but soon Minnie’s Food Pantry began to grow. Minnie’s couldn’t have come at a better time. Federal funds for SNAP food assistance were slashed by $5 billion. Families that were on the brink soon found themselves in desperate need. Ubiquitous job cuts lead to an increase in families who struggled with food security as the recession lingered. On several occasions, volunteers who once helped distribute food returned in need of assistance. “I had a management team from a huge corporation that came to volunteer. Before every group serves, I always tell them, ‘This could...

It has been over 10 years since The Marjorie Luke Theatre reopened its doors to the public. The performance venue, established in 1933, had passed through the hands of several owners before falling into a state of disrepair. It’s beautiful architecture, history, and Santa Barbarans’ notorious local pride triggered the restoration of the property. Now, the revitalized Luke Theatre is home to over 140 arts and educational organizations and countless visiting performers. Rick Villa, General Manager at The Luke Theatre has been helping dreams take stage since 2003. He became involved in the arts as a child, though when he entered college he took the sage advice to “have something you can fall back on” and majored in marketing and communications. That path led to an assistant position with the theater and ultimately to management. Since then, Villa has devoted his efforts to securing affordable access to the arts for Santa Barbarans and providing artists with a beautiful space in which to present their craft. The Luke Theatre does not produce its own shows. “We’re here to serve our community, offering an affordable house theater for anyone in our community to rent,” says Villa. Competitive pricing and an attractive space has enticed a wide range of performance troupes, school groups, local organizations, and bands to bring their talents to Santa Barbara. “[The pricing] attracts a lot of people to us and we get such a wide range of events coming through our doors, everything from operas to surf movies to plays and mariachi music,” says Villa. Though everyone is welcomed to rent the space, the theater has a special place in the hearts of youth organizations, many of which use the performing and visual arts as a tool for education. “Arts education is important...

Reach Out and Read is an evidence-based nonprofit organization of medical providers who promote early literacy and reading aloud. The organization operates in all 50 states, serving 4 million kids each year. Medical providers distribute 6.5 million books to children and supply parents with literacy advice to help families obtain the longer term benefits of reading aloud from birth. It’s never too early to promote literacy and language development, which is why the partnership between Reach Out and Read and physicians is so important.  “96 percent of kids see a pediatrician,” explains Judith Forman, Reach Out and Read’s Public Awareness Manager. “The pediatrician is the most common person outside of a home that a child sees in their first five years. We incorporate early literacy guidance into checkups since children are already going to the doctor, and parents view the pediatrician as a trusted figure.” Reading to babies and toddlers fills their word banks at an early age, establishing the foundation for academic success before they start kindergarten. By 18 months, children who are read to show greater intellectual processing skills than children whose parents did not read to them; by the age of three, the word gap–the number of words kids know—is already more than 30 million. From this stage, children are walking the path to failure or success as students. To proactively adress the word gap, the American Academy of Pediatrics recently issued a policy statement officially recommending literacy promotion via pediatricians. The announcement was made at the Clinton Global Initiative meeting as part of a partnership between the AAP, Reach Out and Read, Scholastic, and Hillary Clinton’s Too Small to Fail Organization of a partnership to raise awareness among parents about the importance of early language development. The news was feature...

Competition can be empowering. It doesn’t matter whether the competition takes place on a field, court or office. Knowing that you will go head-to-head with a worthy competitor encourages you to set goals, hone your skills, and believe that you are capable of emerging from the competition as a victor. You alone can forge the path to victory. Michelle Duke, Manager of Special Events and Volunteers at Special Olympics Santa Barbara, has seen the empowerment of competition at work in the athletes that she serves. From weekly practices to grueling four hour tournaments, Special Olympics athletes first challenge themselves before challenging their opponents. Their personal victories give them the confidence needed to tackle larger challenges in life. “We have an athlete who was incredibly shy. He really didn’t have any friends,” says Duke. “He got into our program and soon became a leader to other athletes. He took part in Global Youth Activation Summit where he was able to travel to Korea for the World Games. He served as an ambassador for Special Olympics. He really never would have been able to do it without the confidence that he gained with Special Olympics.” The experience empowered him with the skills needed to step out in other areas and live his life to the fullest. “Participation in the programs changes athletes’ outlook, social skills, and impacts their lives,” Duke says. Through Special Olympics, athletes also gain a support system that provides encouragement and camaraderie. Without such programing, many adults living with developmental disabilities can lead solitary lives; it can be challenging to relate to others. “Being in Special Olympics helps [athletes] connect with people of their same background, people who understand them,” says Duke.  The social aspect of the games strengthens self-esteem, builds character, and...

The needs of our neighbors aren’t always evident.  When Sharon Johnston served as the president of Irving Women’s Network (IWN) from 2004-2006, the organization was shocked to discover that there were over 1,000 homeless teenagers in their town. Johnston immediately called the  school district’s homeless liaison to figure out how such a need could be overlooked. “I discovered that most of them were couch surfing or  doubling up – multiple families living in one small home or apartment,” says Johnston. While many families avoid life on the streets, they are still unable to make ends meet. Among other things, the growing children lack adequate clothing.   Johnston, a resourceful leader, quickly gathered a budget from IWN and purchased one hundred pairs of jeans, one hundred T-Shirts and one hundred hoodies. “That’s the unisex thing that everyone is wearing, kind of a uniform for teens,” Johnston laughs. She contacted Project PASS and had the clothing distributed to local teens. A similar system continued for several years. In 2009, Johnston joined forces with four other women to form Advocates for Homeless Teens. Through a triad partnership with IWN, Stein Mart- Las Colinas and Dignity U Wear (a national charity founded by an Auschwitz survivor) they received 16 commercial-sized boxes of clothing but they had no place to store or distribute the apparel. The fledgling organization rallied support from local leaders, getting their major breakthrough with the Mayor. Johnston would have been happy with a climate controlled storage unit but through the Mayor’s connections she was given access to a 6,090 square-foot building that was formerly an antiques mall. “It was a hot mess,” Johnston admits. The hole-pocked walls were covered in multicolored paint, capped off with a retro border. AllState Insurance Corporate office supplied 45 volunteers on Martin...