Feel Good News

The Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network's patient of the eek is a big brown bat with a broken wing. 

Jane and Paul Orfalea/the Audacious Foundation have donated $100,000 to the Wilderness Youth Project and issued a $50,000 matching challenge grant to encourage other donors.

The County of Santa Barbara and United Way of Santa Barbara County are offering the COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance program to provide limited rental assistance grants to eligible residents.

The Santa Barbara Education Foundation and the Santa Barbara Unified School District created a new campaign to raise the necessary funds so students will have the extra help they need for success in the classroom from afar. 

Volunteers and trail crews rolled up their sleeves and got to work on the restoration of the Murietta Trail this summer thanks to public support and funding through the Thomas Fire Trail Fund.

A local dog is a finalist in the nationwide "Walk and Wag Photo Contest" that could earn prize money and a pet food for the Santa Barbara Humane Society.

In partnership with the County of Santa Barbara, the cities of Santa Barbara and Goleta, United Way of Santa Barbara County is offering rental assistance and other disaster response grants to eligible individuals and families.

First 5 Santa Barbara received its first shipment of the most requested and hard to secure supplies for childcare providers caring for the children of our communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Santa Barbara teenagers with AHA! created inspirational notes with artwork for elderly residents in a local convalescent hospital.

The Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network is caring for a Great Blue Heron who had a fractured femur.

Coastal Cleanup Month, formerly known as Coastal Cleanup Day, starts Saturday and community members are encouraged to participate by cleaning up litter close to home and in their neighborhoods on four Saturdays in September. 

Funds from community partners and individual contributions help support PATH’s COVID-19 and ongoing response efforts and provide life-saving services to those most in need.

The Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network is taking care of a rescued baby raccoon that was found on Alta Vista Road.

A successful shoreline cleanup marks the launch of Goal: Clean Seas on the Channel Islands as it removes 131 lost lobster traps.

Santa Barbara MTD recently installed 14 new ChargePoint Level 2 electric vehicle chargers to provide infrastructure for a new fleet of all-electric light-duty vehicles consisting of 14 2020 Chevy Bolts. 

Community Environmental Council announces a new pilot program aimed to foster community resilience and support climate justice efforts by responding to the immediate needs of frontline communities.

Santa Barbara Foundation and County of Santa Barbara announced the availability of grant funding for small businesses located within the unincorporated portions of Santa Barbara County.

Local organizations partnered together to handout free PPE for businesses in Goleta on Wednesday and Thursday.

The Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network has released a Western Screech Owl after making a full recovery.

Close to $4 Million has been raised for Santa Barbara County through COVID-19 joint response effort led by United Way of Santa Barbara County, Santa Barbara Foundation and Hutton Parker Foundation.

In response to the unprecedented crisis facing our community, Organic Soup Kitchen is launching a free call-in helpline for all of its clients.

Animal Shelters throughout Santa Barbara County have joined NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations’ Clear the Shelters™ 2020 pet adoption campaign.

A newly formed Behavior Wellness and County Schools partnership have received $4 million in grant funding to increase access to youth mental health services.

Girls Inc. of Carpinteria announced the addition of two Automated External Defibrillator (AED) machines and response kits that will be housed at its Foothill Road campus, donated by the Montecito Firefighters Charitable Foundation.

The Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network admitted its 3,000th patient of the year.

In recognition of artists’ essential social contributions, the Santa Barbara County Arts Commission will award up to 20 stipends of $500 each to local artists who have created work in response to this unprecedented time.

Local singer Conner Cherland hosted a virtual concert for residents at Marian Regional Medical Center's Extended Care Center.

A local sustainable retailer sells over 800 hand-made masks to provide relief for the company's artisans in Kenya.

A local boutique is offering Santa Barbara made products in a unique gift basket offering with proceeding going towards the Santa Barbara Foodbank.

The Goleta Education Foundation recently awarded almost $10,000 to Goleta Union School District educators through its Innovation Grants program.