Spotlight

Orcutt resident Patricia Sly-Feighner said Houth Hak, the owner of Orcutt’s Golden Donut, always went out of her way to make people feel special.  “She’s just always so happy, you just knew she would smile at you. She would help carry your stuff out to your car; she was a ray of sunshine,” Sly-Feighner said. […]

When the Chumash Foundation was looking for a beneficiary for its 2015 Charity Golf Classic, the organization’s team saw a need for funding to upgrade technology resources in Santa Ynez Valley schools and classrooms.  “Technology is ever-present in our world, and we realize that teachers and administrators are expected to educate without vital resources they […]

Recent extreme natural gas prices had a huge impact on Central Coast residents, with SoCalGas’ rates tripling from $1.05 per therm in December 2022 to $3.45 in January 2023.  Three energy agencies are offering opportunities to switch to cleaner, more sustainable sources for heating. The Tri-County Regional Energy Network (3C-REN), Central Coast Community Energy, and […]

Student-produced artwork and live demonstrations greeted people who stepped out of the rain and into Allan Hancock College’s newest building on Feb. 24.  The 88,000-square-foot two-story Fine Arts Complex with a corrugated metal facade includes a 400-seat concert hall, a film screening room, and student lounge areas for students in the college’s dance, drama, film, […]

After being a nurse working in cardiac rehabilitation for 30 years and a cardiac patient herself, Marsha Griggs decided to help other women facing heart disease by becoming a WomenHeart Champion.  “Women tend to have different symptoms than men, and they’re more subtle,” Griggs said. “They are not diagnosed as easily as men; they’re misdiagnosed, […]

Starting as a temporary evening shelter for the homeless in Santa Maria churches in 1987, Good Samaritan has since expanded in to multiple shelter programs, sobering centers, detox centers, mental health services, and more throughout Santa Barbara County.  “It’s really exciting; we’ve had to grow at a quick pace but it’s exciting to have new […]

When the Los Padres National Forest announced a 60-day closure in four of its five ranger districts—encompassing a majority of its trails—after January’s storms, nonprofit Los Padres ForestWatch saw the need for a new informational service.  Any time there’s a large closure, storm- or fire-related, many members of the public who like to recreate outdoors […]

Through a partnership between the Boys and Girls Clubs of Mid Central Coast and the city of Guadalupe, the newly renovated community center at LeRoy Park will now serve as the Ron Estabillo Clubhouse—continuing child care services for Guadalupe residents.  “There’s a real crisis in child care, and what we do for after school programming […]

Sexual health education is often an uncomfortable topic to address, one that can be surrounded with stigma and shame, said Trish Hecker. So she stepped into the gap and founded Open Door Support, a program that helps parents engage with their kids on the topic.  “For generations, sexual health in relation to how our body […]

The statewide information and referral system 211 provides people with help and human services, disaster relief, and general information about available local resources.  Local nonprofit CommUnify oversees the Santa Barbara County helpline, which received 29,505 calls in 2021 and has been helping people since 2014, Community Services Director Kemba Lawrence said.  “It’s a staple throughout […]

The Altrusa International Foundation has several branches dedicated to serving local communities—including Santa Maria—through grants and education scholarships.  The Santa Maria chapter has donated money to the Oasis Senior Center and its senior lunch program, the Orcutt Academy Dance Team, and recently provided a $3,688 grant for the Santa Maria Library to purchase science, technology, […]

For thousands of school-age kids, the San Luis Obispo County coastline is a premier destination for epic field trips.  The Central Coast State Parks Association plays an important role in that. The nonprofit arm of State Parks routinely offers educational field trip tours at local landmarks like the Oceano Dunes, the Morro Bay Museum of […]