When Hector was 11 years old, he witnessed the torture and murder of his father and brother by the Mexican cartels. Fearing for his life, his mother sent him to live with his aunt and uncle and their children in Santa Barbara. Although he initially flourished in his new safe environment, by age 13 he had withdrawn from family and friends, becoming depressed, then violent. To some, he became a... Read More
Grants in Action
This spring, a remarkable relationship started between 2013 Women's Fund grantee Doctors Without Walls (DWW) and the Assistance League of Santa Barbara, thanks to Women's Fund member - and long time Assistance League member—Jane Atwater. When Jane learned that Doctors Without Walls needed pocket-sized hygiene products to give to their clients at the Women's Free Homeless Clinic, she offered... Read More
Mary is a 33-year-old mother and the victim of such serious beatings from her husband that she could barely eat, suffering pain and humiliation from her numerous broken and missing teeth. With the help of 2009 WF grantee Domestic Violence Solutions, Mary and her 12-year-old child are now safe and her ex-husband is incarcerated. Thanks to the Santa Barbara Neighborhood... Read More
Guadalupe Saldana, age 9, is one of many children of PSHH’s Carpinteria Camper Park who benefited from the Youth Education Enhancement Program (YEEP) this past year thanks to the support of the Women’s Fund of Santa Barbara. She is the youngest of three children and her parents are mono-lingual Spanish speakers. When the YEEP educator met with Guadalupe’s parents and teacher at the beginning... Read More
"Thank you for everything you do to help us. I am very lucky living near IVYP where I can get a lot of services. The CBET-Family Literacy School Readiness Class will have counseling sessions again at IVYP. How grateful I am that you will provide this service. Many of my friends are also in need of this service. It would be most welcome and is very much needed. You're wonderful! Thanks again,... Read More