United Way of Santa Barbara County

Another record-breaking year! The 27th annual Red Feather Ball welcomed donors, supporters, and community members to celebrate the organization’s expansion to serve additional students and families across the county. The gala raised nearly $400,000 to support programs within United Way’s Academic Achievement initiative, including the national award-winning Fun in the Sun summer learning program. This year’s event also honored the event’s co-chairs and long-time supporters of United Way’s academic programs, Belle Hahn and Lily Hahn Shining. Both sisters received the Brighter Futures Award, highlighting their contributions to the programs in social-emotional learning and wellness. Thank you to all the event sponsors, our event committee, and all our supporters for making this a night to remember! Photography: Isaac Hernandez de Lipa & David Mendoza III #SantaBarbaraCounty #UnitedWaySBC #SantaBarbara #RedFeatherBall

United Way's Fun in the Sun summer learning program serves over 500 local students across Santa Barbara County, connecting them and their families with an award-winning learning and enrichment program that includes academic and literacy practice, hands-on STEAM activities, field trips, social-emotional learning curriculum, and more for six weeks every summer. Watch this year's summer scholars in action in the 2024 Fun in the Sun program video! #SantaBarbaraCounty #UnitedWaySBC #SantaBarbara #FunInTheSun

Congratulations to Marina Hudgens, United Way of Santa Barbara County's Manager of Marketing & Strategic Development, for receiving the Pacific Coast Business Times 40 Under 40 Award! With this award, Marina joins an exciting network of rising business professionals across Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura County. Marina's belief in the mission and vision of the organization and dedication to the impact the team generates for community members plays an essential role in the work of United Way. We are thankful for her continued efforts on behalf of the team and look forward to all that's to come! Join us in congratulating Marina and all those in the Pacific Coast Business Times 40 Under 40 Class of 2024!

Thank you to all our Lunch Bunch volunteers who have joined students on campus at Fun in the Sun! Lunch Bunch is an important part of the summer program, helping to inspire the next generation and foster a sense of connection and commitment from leaders and community members countywide. A special thanks to the U.S. Bank team for visiting campus last week for games and fun at our Santa Barbara campus! #SummerLearning #SantaBarbara #FunintheSun

A summer full of fun-filled learning, field trips, new friends, supportive teachers, and play. Your support of the Fun in the Sun program makes these moments a reality for hundreds of local children and their families each year. Thank you for being a part of their brighter future! Learn more about how you can support the Fun in the Sun summer learning program at www.unitedwaysb.org/give .

The Fun in the Sun summer learning program hosts an incredible network of community partners who play a key role in creating an engaging space for students to learn and grow. From partners in STEAM, environmental studies, healthcare, business, finance, music and movement, and more, Fun in the Sun partners work hard to inspire participating students to build their own brighter futures. The 2024 partner network welcomed back the EXPLORE ECOLOGY team, working with Fun in the Sun to bring gardening, environmental education, and outdoor fun to students across the county. Thank you to this dedicated team for their commitment to sharing their love for the environment with Fun in the Sun Scholars! Another big thank you to all the partners who make this program an enriching summer learning experience for the students and families who join us each year. Learn more about Fun in the Sun at www.unitedwaysb.org/FITS

Thank you to the Women United team for joining Fun in the Sun students on campus! Women United is a global network dedicated to giving back to their local communities. Santa Barbara County's Women United team focuses on building brighter futures for local students through academic achievement programs like Fun in the Sun, which provides national award-winning, free summer learning opportunities to hundreds of local students each year. Learn more about Women United and Fun in the Sun at www.unitedwaysb.org. #SummerLearning #SantaBarbaraCounty #FunintheSun #WomeninPhilanthropy

Happy National Summer Learning Week! This week, we're joining NSLA to celebrate the importance of summer learning spaces and their impact on student health, well-being, and academic success. This week, we're celebrating summer learning at Fun in the Sun, United Way's free learning and enrichment program serving children and families here in Santa Barbara County throughout the summer. Each year, the program brings together a dedicated partner network to provide literacy practice, hands-on STEAM activities, field trips, and more to hundreds of local students, bridging the summer learning gap and providing the tools they need to build a brighter future. ?? #SummerLearningWeek To learn more about Fun in the Sun, please visit www.unitedwaysb.org/FITS

Over the last year of celebrations, highlights, and history, a consistent thread is woven through United Way's first 100 years –people like you: generations of individuals who care, coming together to ensure that the work of United Way continues to reach the children, individuals, and families we serve together. As you will read in this report, we experienced a lot of change and growth in the last year. United Way concluded its COVID-19 crisis response efforts, launched new individual assistance programs to help families build stronger and more resilient financial foundations and expanded academic services and programs to support school district partners in meeting the increasing needs of local families and students. Thank you to all the community partners, volunteers, and supporters who make this work possible. Thank you for your belief in our mission and trust in this important work. As it has for its last century of service, United Way will be there for our community in whatever way it needs us for the next century and beyond. Thank you. Read the report online at https://lnkd.in/ggc7yJQt

Thank you to everyone who attended the Hope Awards! We raised over $130,000 to support Santa Barbara Unified School District students! Of that, $64,000 will directly fund Teacher Grants, empowering teachers and enriching classrooms. We are grateful for your generosity and excited about the future of our students. THANK YOU! #HopeAwards #SBEdFoundation #SBUnified #GreatSchoolsDontJustHappen