Talk-show host and Montecito resident Oprah Winfrey has donated $465,000 to Unity Shoppe, matching the funds pledged during the 22nd Annual Unity Telethon earlier this month.
Winfrey made the gift soon after touring Unity Shoppe, 1219 State St., with the organization’s president, Barbara Tellefson. Tom Reed, Unity Shoppe’s executive director, said Winfrey visited the Senior Resource Center, Job Smart, the inventory/receiving department and the whimsical store that serves Unity Shoppe’s low-income client families. The manner in which food, warm clothing and Christmas gifts were provided; the choice given to parents as they move through the store with a shopping cart guided by a volunteer; and the dignity and respect offered to families going through difficult economic times all touched Winfrey, Reed said.
Unity Shoppe’s Dec. 13 fundraiser raised $465,000 but fell short of its goal. In making her own donation, Reed said Winfrey expressed her appreciation for Unity Shoppe’s role as as a central distribution facility for nonprofits serving low-income South Coast residents. The operation provides assistance to more than 260 nonprofit agencies that refer more than 16,000 low-income clients. Unity Shoppe operates year round by providing clothing, furniture, baby items, school supplies, household goods, work clothing, job training, senior services and disaster relief.
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Tom Reed is Unity Shoppe’s executive director.