The annual “Global Day of Giving” is upon us this holiday season and what better way to give back to your community then joining in on #GivingTuesday by donating to the organizations that make Santa Barbara a place we are proud to call home.
Noozhawk had the opportunity to sit down with Lauren Winnewisser, Director of Devlopment and Communications at Habitat for Humanity, to learn more about how the local nonprofit helps families build and improve a place to call home.
Habitat for Humanity of Southern Santa Barbara County
Question: What is the name & mission of your nonprofit?
Answer: Habitat for Humanity of Southern Santa Barbara County (Habitat Santa Barbara) brings people together to build homes, communities, and hope.
Q: How long has your nonprofit been in service and whom was it started by?
A: Our local affiliate, Habitat Santa Barbara, is independently operated and was started in 2000 by local community members. We will be celebrating our 20th Anniversary in 2020.
Q: What was the inspiration behind your nonprofit?
A: A world where everyone has a decent place to live.
Q: Why is your mission important to you?
A: Behind the veneer of prosperity, so many people in Santa Barbara are scrambling to meet basic needs. The city is home to a vast working poor population, including families living in substandard housing, elderly people who can’t afford critical repairs imperative to their health and aging in place, and those with disabilities who need modifications to stay in their homes. We help people in the most fundamental way possible: by providing a safe, healthy place to call home.
Q: What is one best kept secret or fun fact about your nonprofit that not everyone knows?
A: The ReStore! Habitat Santa Barbara operates a ReStore, the nonprofit home improvement store that sells new and gently used building materials, appliances, furniture, home décor, and more. All inventory is donated and sold at a fraction of the retail price. The ReStore is located in Goleta and open to the public Tuesday through Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. All proceeds benefit Habitat Santa Barbara.
Q: Can you tell us one success story from your nonprofit?
A: Santa Barbara can be a hard place to stay afloat. Just ask twin sisters Janis and Darlene, who have lived in their home on the Mesa for decades. The women, who are in their late 60s with impaired vision, are on a fixed budget and struggled to keep up their property.
From the street, a tangle of shrubs blocked the entrance to this once solid house. Inside, conditions were dire. Appliances had died. Bathrooms didn’t work. The heating system was out. The carpet was rotting and unhealthy.
Habitat Santa Barbara jumped in to help. A volunteer team converged on the house to create a safe environment for the sisters, turning the unsafe structure into a home the women could enjoy through their old age.
Skilled volunteers installed new floors and a donated garage door. Plumbers and electricians donated their time and expertise. A local church replaced the refrigerator and the kitchen appliances and cabinets were sourced and donated from the ReStore in Goleta, our nonprofit retail store that sells donated home improvement items at low costs.
By the end, the experience changed not just the house, but the community. Neighbors who had never met joined the effort. Friendships took root, along with a sense that everyone can make an impact. The desire to help became contagious. The project exemplifies the kind of work that Habitat Santa Barbara excels at—building and restoring homes while creating connections throughout the community.
Q: What makes your nonprofit different from others?
A: We are the only nonprofit in our area that helps provide a pathway to homeownership in our newly build Habitat homes and we also work with lower income homeowners to provide repairs and rehabs to their homes.
Q: How do people get involved/volunteer for your nonprofit?
A: Volunteer opportunities include working in our ReStore, volunteering with our Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative home repairs, and on our new home construction projects, as well as helping in our admin offices. Get involved on our website!
Q: What types of fundraisers and/or programs does your nonprofit run?
A: We have an annual fundraising gala (Save the date for our 20th Anniversary Gala: September 26, 2020!). We also have several other events to raise funds and friends throughout the year.
Q: How does the work of your nonprofit get communicated to the public?
A: Social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube), press releases, monthly e-newsletters, public events, and word of mouth.
Click HERE to make a donation to the Habitat for Humanity of Southern Santa Barbara County this #GivingTuesday!