Contents
Solstice Blooms at FC
Re-Opening Update
New, Returning BOD
Take Care Totes Program Wraps Up
Peregrine Galleries Fundraiser
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Summer Solstice Parade
Friendship Center Blooms with Joy
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Blooms, L-R: Kim, Ana, Heidi, Sophia, Esther
By Sophia Davis, Advancement & Project Manager
Friendship Center staff hustled and bustled with excitement last Thursday in preparation for their public performance in the Virtual Solstice Parade. Advancement & Project Manager Sophia Davis choreographed, planned and coordinated with filming partner Jinny Ahn from Summer Solstice Celebration, Inc. to pull off a performance worthy of the big screen! The outdoor film set centered around Bessy the Friendship Center bus, all decked out in colorful décor and covered in flowers, in accord with this year’s Solstice parade theme, “BLOOM.” With a faux grass ‘stage’ and lots of blooming decorations, Friendship Center staff members performed a parasol dance spinning their parasols – which were richly adorned with florals.
Multicolored wigs and colorful clothing spun in a whirlwind of flowers, rainbows and joy, to delight audiences near and far in the upcoming 2021 Virtual Summer Solstice State Street Parade, this year done virtually in two places: on the big screen and on television.
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Reopening Update
Plans Approved for 40 members at Montecito Site
By Ellen Willis-Conger, Operations Director
We hope to announce an opening date soon!
We are actively preparing the site, the staff and our members to return to Friendship Center safely. One hundred percent of our staff has been vaccinated against COVID-19, and we are all committed to help protect our vulnerable members.
So much has changed in the last year that new assessments and physician’s reports are required for each member. Program Manager Rachel Graef will assess every new and returning member prior to opening, using the physician’s reports and in-person assessments.
We will first open at our Montecito site.
Our in-person opening will be in smaller blocks of time but allow for continued participation with Zoom activities. Members will be placed in Cohorts of 10 in morning or afternoon groups. Members will further alternate weeks of in-person attendance. This plan for reopening slowly and carefully was approved by our licensor (CDSS) and will provide for safe programming and snacks for up to 40 members.
Once we have successfully started in-person programs, we look forward to extending our hours of participation and welcoming more people to the Montecito site, gradually increasing staff and members to be able to also open our Goleta Site.
If you need to have documents for admission, or need the physician form faxed to your medical provider, please contact Family Services Manager Kim Larsen for assistance. Kim may be reached at: kim@friendshipcentersb.org or (805) 969-0859, ext. 2. We look forward to seeing you soon!
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Fiscal Year 2021-2022 BOD
Welcome New, Returning Board Members
By Rachel Graef, Program Manager
Friendship Center is pleased to welcome Maggie Mixsell and David Selberg to its Board of Directors for the 2021-2022 fiscal year.
“We are delighted that David and Maggie have joined our board of directors,” says Friendship Center Executive Director Heidi Holly. “Each joins Friendship Center at an exciting time as we continue to pivot and enhance our programs for seniors and families during this challenging year.”
Both new members bring a wealth of knowledge to Friendship Center, David as CEO of Hospice Santa Barbara and Maggie with a varied background in directing and performing arts. “The addition of these directors complements our Board’s overall skills and experiences,” says Heidi. “We are confident they will provide valuable perspectives due to their leadership abilities and strong commitment to our mission.”
Notes David, “I have been a longtime supporter and admirer of the mission and work of Friendship Center, a true community treasure, over the years with numerous close friends and colleagues volunteering and accessing services at this vital organization.”
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David Selberg
A Santa Barbara native and UCSB alum, David has 30 years of non-profit experience in Santa Barbara County. He has served at Hospice of Santa Barbara’s Chief Executive Office since 2015. Hospice of Santa Barbara provides professional counseling, support groups, and patient care services free of charge to individuals and families grieving the death of a loved one or the impact of a serious illness. The non-profit is also present in eight local junior and high school campuses to work with youth who are grieving the death of a loved one.
Previously, David served as Executive Director of Pacific Pride Foundation, the Central Coast’s LGBT and HIV/AIDS organization, and as Program Director at Transition House, a family homeless shelter prevention program. He has volunteered for a variety of organizations in the community and beyond, including a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for children in the foster system as well as with Shanti of L.A. which provided mental health services to those dying of HIV/AIDS in early years of the AIDS epidemic.
During his tenure at Hospice of Santa Barbara, David has grown both the size and reach of the nonprofit organization to include expansion into more local schools, the addition of the Carpinteria office, “Compassionate Care of Carpinteria,” and the enhancement of community partnerships.
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Maggie Mixsell
Maggie received her Master’s Degree in dramatic arts with a directing emphasis in 1995 from UCSB. She teaches performance and directing classes at SBCC and is currently teaching a memoir and performance class, Write Your Story, Perform Your Story, Share Your Story with SBCC’s Continuing Education Division.
Maggie was the Artistic & Founding Director of Education of Speaking Stories, from 2003-2019, and for seven years she was the founding stage director for Santa Barbara Revels. She previously taught acting at UCSB.
Maggie’s most recent productions as a director include Kate Cortesi’s LOVE, Peter Fox’s The Testicles Monologues, David Ives’ All in the Timing, Sam Shepherd’s Back Bog Beast Bait, Lady and the Clarinet, Burn This and Camping with Henry and Tom for which Maggie won the Independent Theatre Award for Directing.
Joe Wheatley, President, (Retired); Justin Redmond, Vice-President (Private Fiduciary); Joe Holland, Chief Financials Officer (County Clerk-Recorder Assessor); Dana VanderMey, Secretary (Community Volunteer/Nurse); Kathy Marden, Member-at-Large (Psychotherapist); Sue Adam, (Community Volunteer); Marti Correa de Garcia, (Business Owner); Jacqueline Duran, (Financial Adviser); Karolyn Hanna, (RN PhD, Professor of Nursing); Cynder Sinclair, (Lead Consultant, NonProfit Kinect); Monica Vidger-Trent, (Banker/Trust Officer).
For more information about Friendship Center’s services in Montecito and Goleta
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Take Care Totes
Program to Wrap Up 16-Month Run
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By Kim Larsen, Family Services Manager
With 43 lovingly packed totes delivered by volunteers from The Montecito Bucket Brigade and Easy Lift, Friendship Center’s Take Care Totes program made its final delivery June 17. A beloved feature of Friendship Center’s Community Connect Adult Program, the TCTs, delivered monthly, included a variety of games and activities to stimulate the mind, and edible treats, such as lunches donated by Friendship Center Montecito’s neighbors at the Rosewood Resort or gourmet cupcakes baked by professional caterers.
As we transition to in-person activities, We don’t have the human resources to continue soliciting donations of products and services required to make the program successful. It’s a huge time commitment to organize, pack and deliver these totes. Now that we are shifting our priorities toward a safe reopening, it is beyond our capacity.
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Positive Feedback
That said, based on member and caregiver feedback, they’ve been a bright light in the isolation that many suffered during the pandemic quarantine. See below for a sampling of feedback from caregivers and members, as well as pictures of happy TCT recipients.
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Awesome Volunteers
We want to thank the many business partners, family and community members and home health agencies who have consistently supported our take care totes through donations of products, services and money.
A lot of people have helped us over the last 16 months and we couldn’t have done it without them! Our community of volunteers has helped us deliver 803 Take Care Totes to isolated seniors suffering from cognitive impairment.
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Peregrine Galleries to Donate Portion of Proceeds
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Make Friendship Center Your Amazon Charity and Donate While You Shop! Amazon will donate .05% of your purchase to Friendship Center at no extra cost to you.
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Virtual Programming to Continue as We Transition
At Friendship Center, we foster strong partnerships with family caregivers. Even as we transition toward in-person services, we will still continue with Zoom services in some capacity. Staff is still available to show caregivers how to help members stay connected via Zoom.
Keeping our members engaged with friends and activities while we implement the transition back to in-person activities is our continued goal. We are here to make this possible.
For more information about enrolling, please contact Family Services Manager Kim Larsen at: kim@friendshipcentersb.org or (805) 969-0859, ext. 2
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