Santa Barbara Education Foundation has worked to support the needs of students in the Santa Barbara Unified School District since 1985. One recent focus of the organization is the We Care campaign, a drive focused on “caring” for all staff members, students, and families in the Santa Barbara Unified School District.
Phase one of the We Care campaign has been to thank all SBUSD staff members for their dedication to our community throughout the pandemic by fulfilling “wish” gifts with a value of up to $25. Staff members could submit requests for items such as gift cards to restaurants and stores, personal items, or supplies for their classrooms. SBEF also partnered with Jersey Mike’s, which generously donated lunches at each school site and the district office for all staff as an additional way of saying thank you.
Phase two of the We Care campaign will fulfill student and family needs as identified by the district’s Family Liaison team in an ongoing capacity. SBEF is now partnering with Adam’s Angels, a local volunteer non-profit group that gathers donations from neighbors and distributes food, clothing, and toiletries to those experiencing hardship in our community. Adam’s Angels campaign Kits4Kids will create hundreds of hygiene kits for students in our district. Adam’s Angels sponsored 200 kits for immediate release, and the project will depend on community financial support to continue on an ongoing basis. The hygiene kits will be placed into We Care closets at each school site, along with additional items students may need, such as clothing, bus passes, grocery gift cards, and other essential items. The We Care closets will be replenished as supplies run low by both SBEF and Adam’s Angels.
Individuals interested in making financial gifts to Adam’s Angels Kits4Kids campaign can donate online on their website at adamsangels-sb.org. To contribute towards all other aspects of the We Care campaign, please visit sbefoundation.org/donate.