Each year, as the days get shorter and the nights get longer, we at the Sun turn our thoughts toward nonprofits. Early sunsets mean it’s time once again for our annual wish list, highlighting local people and groups who make a difference in this community—and need someone to make a difference for them in return.
The organizations listed here have made it their mission to light the way for unfortunate people stumbling in the dark, to shine as a beacon of hope for the hopeless, to glow with warmth when life seems bleak, cold, and starless.
Help strike a spark to keep these flames burning bright. As always, we’ve selected more than a dozen nonprofits and asked them what they could use most, be it money, volunteers, money, word-of-mouth support, or money. Yes, money came up a lot, but it’s not the only need. Read on to discover how you can help.
Legal Aid Foundation of Santa Barbara County
In the current economic environment, the number of homeowners facing foreclosure is at an all-time high. Stepping in to help prevent the worst is the Legal Aid Foundation. But to do so, they need lawyers.
“Lawyers and money,” Legal Aid Litigation Director Yvonne Cudney clarified with a laugh when asked what Legal Aid needs most. “No, seriously. We need foreclosure lawyers for tenants. Lawyers who know about loan modifications and are willing to assist owners.”
Anyone who hasn’t finished law school yet can still help. The group always needs office supplies. And if anyone out there has a dedicated document scanner—not an all-in-one fax/copy/scanner, they’re too slow—you’d make the folks at Legal Aid very happy.
Or a copier.
“I would love anyone who got us a new copier,” Cudney said.
For more information, call 922-9909.
—Nicholas Walter
Santa Maria Teen Court
This holiday season, Santa Maria Teen Court is wishing for a few good jurors. Operated by the Santa Barbara County Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, Teen Court acts as an early intervention program for first-time offenders by diverting them out of the traditional juvenile system. Teens who take responsibility for their actions are given the option of going before a jury of their peers, who then determine the consequences.
“We’re always recruiting kids under 18 to serve as volunteer jurors,” said Teen Court Program Manager Crystal Moreno.
To get the word out, Moreno added, Teen Court needs people willing to help pay for the printing of posters and other materials.
“We have a really cool poster that someone made for us, but color printing is expensive,” she said. “When staff is taking furloughs, the board doesn’t see printing as a priority.”
Some other items on Teen Court’s holiday wish list include a new or used laptop for court and classroom presentations, and basic office supplies like pens, highlighters, and three-ring binders.
Contact Teen Court at 925-8860.
—Amy Asman
Dana Adobe Nipomo Amigos
The Dana Adobe Nipomo Amigos have a simple goal, broken into many parts. They seek to restore and preserve the historic Dana Adobe in Nipomo, help others learn about California’s rancho era, and foster interest in the events and people who shaped the state—and whose legacy will continue to guide its future. The adobe’s friends lead extensive restoration efforts, classroom field trips, and free, authentic celebrations, all in an effort to honor the property’s past and bring the community together for a bright tomorrow.
Keeping history alive requires hard work and a solid inventory. Executive Director Marina Washburn said locals looking to pitch in can feed a literal hunger: The adobe’s aging burros eat Purina equine senior feed and palettes of alfalfa and oats.
The adobe could also use folding tables and clipboards. And, of course, they’re looking for volunteers, particularly seamstresses and re-enactors to present history with vivid flair.
The group is also looking for help from a graphic designer to get the adobe’s printed materials “up to par.”
For more information, call 929-5679 or visit danaadobe.org.
—Ryan Miller
Alzheimer’s Association—
California Central Coast Chapter
Caring for a person suffering from Alzheimer’s is a full-time job. For the family members and caregivers who look to the Central Coast chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association for counseling and help, the best medicine is oftentimes some much-needed rest and relaxation, according to the organization’s area coordinator, Roy Allen.
While there are care groups that provide temporary assistance for Alzheimer’s patients, charges for the services can run $20 to $30 per hour. With funding from the community, Allen said, family members and others tasked with constant patient care can afford to take time off for respite and relief.
“The caregivers are under such tremendous stress that they need a break,” he explained. “They can’t afford to have someone come in and care for their loved ones, so they’re stuck doing all the work by themselves.”
Volunteers for the office and the organization’s annual Memory Walk are always welcomed, as is dedicated office space that provides privacy and comfort to caregivers, some of whom walk into the Santa Maria office off the street to talk about their struggles.
The Santa Barbara North County office of the Alzheimer’s Association is located at 528 S. Broadway in Santa Maria. For more information, call 636-6432 or visit alz.org/cacentralcoast.
—Jeremy Thomas
Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center
Education and environmental stewardship are two of the main goals of the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center, which focuses on one of the largest intact costal dune systems on the planet.
To help educate the public, they’re asking for a television of at least 40 inches to replace the old projector they use to show movies.
To help the kids better experience the dunes, Executive Director Mario Castellanos is asking for binoculars, too.
“They would be for the after-school programs where we take kids out for hikes in the dunes,” Castellanos explained.
Binoculars in the 7-by-40 range are preferred.
To help stay organized, Dunes Center staffers are also asking for 14.5-gallon clear plastic containers.
“Just the standard Walmart plastic bins,” Castellanos said. “We’ve got a whole lot of stuff which we’re trying to keep organized and labeled.”
In keeping with the organizational trend, the center is also seeking metal shelving of any kind.
For more information, contact the Dunes Center at 343-2455.
—Nicholas Walter
Town Center Gallery
Artists at the Town Center Gallery have been busy this year. Yes, they’ve been painting and creating, but they’ve also moved. The gallery found a new home in Town Center West after a year of homelessness. The new location has been a blessing in disguise for the gallery, offering more space and a chance to expand the types of art shown.
“Most of all, we would like some volunteers for a number of different things—most of all as docents to fill in for members that cannot make it,” said Franczeska Bobi Angel, president of the board of directors for the gallery.
She explained that the gallery is open for more days than there are volunteers to staff it.
For more information, call 937-2075 or visit thetown centergallery.com.
—Shelly Cone
Long Term Care Ombudsman Services of Santa Barbara County
For a group with a long name, its wish list is short:
Executive Director Kathy Badrak put an exclamation point after that last item, punctuating the group’s need for funding so it can continue to advocate for “long-term care consumers.” That somewhat clinical term describes people who often desperately need to be spoken for: the nursing home residents, the folks who need assisted living, the people who live in residential care facilities.
The ombudsman program works to make sure long-term care isn’t a long-term nightmare for such a population. The nonprofit’s workers investigate and seek to resolve complaints, help “consumers” exercise their legally guaranteed rights, guide people through the care system, help secure quality of care and life—and do it all free and confidentially by educating care home staffers, working with regulatory agencies, offering an ear to those who depend on others to care for them, and more.
For more information, visit ombudsmansb.org or call 925-0499.
—Ryan Miller
Santa Maria Valley Humane Society
At the Santa Maria Valley Humane Society, dogs and cats find volunteers who care for them until the animals arrive at their forever homes. But the task requires the generosity of pet lovers. This year, there’s one major wish Humane Society workers are requesting.
“Pet food, pet food, pet food,” said Operations Manager Bobbi Gilman. “A lot of people bring us towels and bleach, and we’re grateful for that, but the thing we need most is pet food.”
To make matters worse, two of the three major retailers that were regular donors of pet food to the Humane Society are no longer donating food, leaving a major need.
Pet food donated to the Humane Society, a no-kill animal shelter, goes into a foodbank that helps animals even beyond the Humane Society.
“Pet owners who are having a hard time or lost their jobs can pick up some pet food once a month,” Gilman said, “and we provide dog food, cat food, and litter, so we have an enormous need for pet food.”
For more information, call 349-3435.
—Shelly Cone
Santa Maria Valley Discovery Museum
Maintaining the wonders of live animal exhibits and protecting the Santa Maria Valley Discovery Museum’s infrastructure from the wear and tear of visiting schoolchildren is, needless to say, not cheap. In fact, it costs $1,000 a month just to operate the museum’s shark tank.
While monetary donations are always appreciated, there couldn’t be a better time than now to make a contribution, according to Executive Director Kelly White-O’Neill, because the Henry Mayo Newhall Foundation is currently offering a “matching grant.” If the museum can raise $15,000 by Dec. 31, the foundation will match the amount of contributions dollar-for-dollar.
If the fund-drive is successful, White-O’Neill said the money would be enough to cover all of the museum’s programming and utility bills.
“This will be money used for our general operating costs and our greatest needs,” she explained. “There’s no restrictions on it. It’s a really nice opportunity that we’re really excited about.”
But money isn’t everything. The museum also needs a new vacuum and a digital camera—any kind will do.
Donations can be made at the museum at 705 South McClelland St. in Santa Maria, or online at smvdiscoverymuseum.org. To find out more, call 928-8414.
—Jeremy Thomas
Habitat for Humanity
Whether repairing dilapidated homes or rebuilding them from scratch, Habitat for Humanity’s volunteers are always willing to help people in need. While the organization is always accepting donations of building materials for its ReStore, there are two things the group needs above all else right now: warm bodies and more inventory for the ReStore, which sells quality used and surplus building supplies at a fraction of their cost. Currently, the store is only open 40 hours a month: Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the second and fourth Saturday of every month.
Dick Brown of Habitat for Humanity said they’re hoping to open the ReStore one more day a week, which means they need three volunteers, three days a week, for three hour shifts.
Think you’ve got what it takes? Call 928-5399.
—Nicholas Walter
Volunteers for Inter-Valley Animals
Santa says it’s important not to forget the four-legged friends on your Christmas list.
This year, the animals—and humans—at Volunteers for Inter-Valley Animals (VIVA) in Lompoc have “more volunteers” at the top of their list.
“Nothing is more important than volunteers because without volunteers we couldn’t operate,” said Shirley Cram, VIVA’s treasurer and shelter director.
VIVA is also in need of some basic, yet highly essential items, such as trash bags, soap, bleach, paper towels, and cat food. Some recommended brands are Friskies, Science Diet, and Purina.
“They’re all things that we have to spend money on, and things we all need to keep going,” Cram said.
And if anyone is in an especially festive mood, taking a pet home for the holidays is a great way to help VIVA out.
“Adoptions are really slow right now because of the economy. So if anyone has room for another animal in their home, now would be the perfect time to do it,” Cram said.
Drop off donations or stop in for a visit at the shelter, 133 North D St., in Lompoc. The shelter is open seven days a week, Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and all other days from 9 a.m. to about 2 p.m.
For more information, call 735-6741.
—Amy Asman
Central Coast Rescue Mission
This past year, the strain of a difficult recession forced many families and individuals to look for outside help to provide for their basic needs. Santa Maria’s Central Coast Rescue Mission, part of the Alliance Rescue Mission, is doing its part to ease the suffering of people who’ve fallen on hard times, providing meals to the homeless and maintaining a 12-bed drug and alcohol recovery program for men.
But the mission can’t survive without donations. According to Director Mark Parke, the organization desperately needs bags of hygienic items and toiletries—soap, razors, shaving cream, washcloths, socks, and underwear—for the men in the program.
The mission also recently opened a separate Phase-II transitional group home for drug-addicted men, providing them with the opportunity to get full-time employment, save money, and prepare for a new life. For this house, the mission needs $15,000 for carpeting, as well as towels, bed sheets, pillows, and dressers.
Monetary donations can be made online at erescuemission.org. Food and hygiene items can be dropped off at the mission, located at 1207 N. McClelland in Santa Maria. Used clothing and other smaller items can be taken to the mission’s Super Thrift store, located at 306 N. Broadway.
To schedule a donation pickup, call 1-800-417-5678.
—Jeremy Thomas
Foodbank of Santa Barbara County
Last year, the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County distributed 8 million pounds of food. For more than 25 years, the nonprofit has been helping provide fresh and nutritious food to people in need. To continue helping such a large population, the Foodbank needs help itself.
“What we really need are potters and artists who throw bowls for our Empty Bowls event, which has become very popular and is growing,” said Kerry Main Aller, development and PR manager.
That event brings out artists who donate bowls, which in turn are sold to supporters who get to keep the vessel, filled with soup donated by local chefs.
Aller said there’s also a constant need for food, as well as volunteers to help with clerical and office tasks and distribution to meet the continuing growing need.
“We need food, potters, and volunteers, in that order,” Aller said.
For more information, call 937-3422.
—Shelly Cone
Santa Maria Arts Council
Widespread art appreciation—that’s the No. 1 holiday request of members of the Santa Maria Arts Council.
“The Arts Council wishes for our community to recognize and understand the joy and power of art. How it builds cultural bridges, how it ultimately defines a civilization, how it has the ability to astonish, inspire, teach, and motivate—a wish that the community would fully realize that art touches lives for the better,” council president Craig Shafer told the Sun.
Shafer said the council also wishes every single child in California could receive the arts education curriculum established in the state education code, “because it will help them succeed in school and in life. It typically increases attendance, instills a greater desire to learn, increases grade and test scores, and fosters cooperation.”
Unfortunately, that can prove a difficult task, especially during a time of sweeping budget cuts. As a result, organizations like the arts council must strive to fill the gap through grants and scholarships.
Lastly, the council is always looking for new members. The Santa Maria Arts Council meets on the third Wednesday of the month at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 402 S. Lincoln, from noon to 1 p.m. Pre-meeting lunch ($8) begins at 11:30 a.m. To RSVP, call Karen Ransome at 937-8828.
—Amy Asman
Send comments to the Santa Maria Sun staff at mail@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Dec 24-31, 2009.