[Noozhawk’s note: One in a series on the Santa Ynez Valley Foundation’s 2026 Champions of the Valley who will be honored for their volunteerism and community service Oct. 11 at Rancho Carmina in Los Olivos. Click here for more information, or click here to purchase tickets online.]
Kros Andrade doesn’t measure community service by meetings attended, titles held or awards collected.
For him, it can be as simple as helping someone understand a letter written in English.
“Volunteering isn’t only something that happens at an organized event or during a scheduled shift,” said Andrade, who is being recognized Oct. 11 as a Santa Ynez Valley Foundation 2026 Champion of the Valley.
“It happens at the grocery store, on the field when I’m coaching young people, at my office, or simply when someone needs help understanding a letter they received.”
That philosophy has translated into more than 10,000 hours of volunteer service across the Santa Ynez Valley — coaching young athletes, mentoring students and entrepreneurs, supporting nonprofit organizations and creating community events.
Andrade came to the valley with his family as a young child from Guadalajara, Mexico. As he built a life and successful career here, he also built an extraordinary record of giving back.
His relationship with People Helping People stretches nearly two decades. He joined its board in 2007, was named Volunteer of the Year in 2009, served as board secretary and returned in 2026 as board president.
Along the way, Andrade helped create some of the nonprofit’s best-known fundraising traditions, including the Santa Ynez Valley Polo Classic, Vino de Sueños and Bike Trek.
He also donated professional branding, graphic design and marketing services to People Helping People and other nonprofits from his company, UVA Design Studio.
Sports have provided another avenue for service.
For more than 15 years, Andrade has coached young athletes in soccer, basketball and powerlifting. His résumé includes AYSO, Jonata Middle School, the Stuart C. Gildred Family YMCA and amateur athletic competition.
Jonata School named him Volunteer of the Year in 2014.
Andrade’s involvement goes beyond wins and losses.
“He feels that athleticism is not just physically good for the soul but it builds confidence and creates a positive environment for people to work together,” his nomination says.
Mentorship is equally important.
A first-generation college graduate, Andrade remembers navigating college applications and career decisions largely on his own.
That experience has led him to help young people with college and career planning, speak at career days and mentor aspiring entrepreneurs.
He also has provided pro bono professional guidance to business owners unable to afford branding or marketing help.
People Helping People CEO Erica Jane Flores said Andrade’s accomplishments are impressive, but they don’t fully explain his impact.
“His legacy is found in the confidence he instills in young people, the organizations that are stronger because of his guidance, the entrepreneurs he has encouraged, the volunteers he has inspired, and the countless individuals who have walked away from a conversation with him feeling more hopeful than when they arrived,” she said.
Andrade traces his instinct to serve to childhood. In Guadalajara, he watched his parents — who were also school board presidents — volunteer, organize events and raise money for their school.
Later, he realized his own family had benefited from the generosity of others after arriving in the Santa Ynez Valley.
“I have never volunteered for recognition,” Andrade said. “I do it because people were there for my family, because my parents showed me what service looks like, and because I believe we all have a responsibility to take care of one another.”
His conclusion is even simpler:
“Giving back is simply part of who I am.”
Champions of the Valley
Since 1995, the Santa Ynez Valley Foundation has been honoring exceptional local volunteers whose tireless community commitment enriches the Santa Ynez Valley and Los Alamos, their residents and a wide range of local organizations.
This year’s honorees for the 31st Annual Champions of the Valley are Kros Andrade, Dennis Beebe, Susan and Rod Caughell and Veronica Sandoval.
Youth Community Champions are Lupita Alvarado and Bella Sim.
The awards will be presented at 4 p.m. Oct. 11 at Rancho Carmina in Los Olivos. Click here for more information, or click here to purchase tickets online.
The Champions of the Valley celebration is sponsored by the Ann Jackson Family Foundation, the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, Flying Z Ranch-Betty and Ron Ziegler, Kiani Preserve, Presqu’ile-The Murphy Foundation, Linda Stafford Burrows, Manchester Capital Management, the Nagler Family Fund, U.S. Bank Private Wealth Management, Allan Hancock College, Arcadia Studio, Brady Group, Edward Jones-Kelly Hunziker, Hometown Insurance Services, Montecito Bank & Trust, Noozhawk, Old Danish Fudge Kitchen, Rancho Carmina-Hayley Firestone, Shoemaker Family Fund, Women Winemakers & Culinarians Foundation, Charlotte’s of Santa Ynez, the Grenier Family, Santa Barbara Foundation, Santa Ynez General-Turnbull Family, Santa Ynez Valley Rotary Club, Town and Ranch Properties-Michael Nicola and Gabriel Bustamante, Laura and Chris Urquidez, and Visit the Santa Ynez Valley.
The honorees were chosen by a panel of foundation board members and former honorees, based on nominations made by the community.
The honorees each receive a $1,000 grant to support a nonprofit organization of their choice. The Youth Community Champions each receive a $1,000 scholarship to further their education.
Santa Ynez Valley Foundation
The Santa Ynez Valley Foundation is dedicated to a mission centered around grant-making, extending financial support and resources to a diverse array of local organizations and initiatives in the Santa Ynez and Los Alamos valleys.
The grants are strategically channeled into key sectors, including food security, health and human services, support for seniors, arts and culture, youth development, and education.
The foundation also administers a robust College Scholarship Program designed to empower ambitious college-bound local students.
Currently, 50 students are beneficiaries of this program, receiving scholarships to facilitate their pursuit of higher education and, in turn, contributing to the overall advancement of the community.
