Giving Tuesday is less than two weeks away and it’s important to reflect on what the giving season means. The giving season embodies the spirit of compassion and emphasizes the importance of helping those in need, fostering a sense of community and togetherness.
Santa Barbara’s nonprofit sector thrives on a shared commitment to the well-being of its diverse population and we encourage you to look at our community nonprofits who are in need of your support this holiday season.
Noozhawk is teaming up with local nonprofits to encourage you to take part in this international day of giving, which takes place on November 28th, 2023.
Our Good for Santa Barbara Nonprofit Section provides all the resources you need to donate this Giving Tuesday!
In this interview, Noozhawk spoke with Lori Goodman, Executive Director at LEAP (Learn. Engage. Advocate. Partner), to learn more about how the nonprofit is dedicated t0 mitigating the effects of poverty, racism, and trauma in families and children.
LEAP (Learn. Engage. Advocate. Partner)
Question: What is the name and mission of your nonprofit?
Answer: LEAP: Learn. Engage. Advocate. Partner. LEAP mitigates the effects of poverty, racism, and trauma by providing high-quality, trauma-informed childcare, comprehensive, culturally-sensitive family support, and visionary community leadership.
Q: What was the inspiration behind your nonprofit?
A: LEAP (formerly Isla Vista Youth Projects) was founded in 1971 in response to the riots in Isla Vista. At that time, Isla Vista residents recognized that there were no services meeting the needs of families and children in Isla Vista.
The founders were both UCSB students and community members who were dedicated to creating a vibrant, thriving, and supportive community in Isla Vista. In the wake of riots and the burning of the Bank of America, the children and families who lived in Isla Vista needed support, strength and resilience.
By creating a community that valued children, that enabled families to work and access the social services and support they needed, LEAP sowed the seeds for a resilient, creative and thriving community. Over the years, our work has expanded to serve children and families across Santa Barbara County. But, our purpose remains the same.
We exist not only to provide direct services to families in need, but also to convene community members and stakeholders for the benefit of all. We believe that by nurturing authentic, trusted relationships, we create the conditions for resilience and growth.
Q: How is your nonprofit primarily funded and what are your greatest needs?
A: Approximately 80% of our funding comes from government sources including the California Department of Social Services, the California Department of Education, the City of Goleta, and Santa Barbara County Human Services commission.
The remainder of our funding comes from local foundations and individuals. Our greatest needs are to find sustainable support for the programs that do not receive dedicated governmental funds, but are nevertheless vital to the well-being of the children and families in our community.
These programs include our diaper bank, our immigration informational webinars, our financial literacy classes, our monthly food distribution, our vaccine clinics.
In short, we initiate programs in response to emerging community needs and interest, and then we seek to raise the funds to continue those programs.
Q: In what ways does your nonprofit utilize its funding?
A: Governmental funding allows us to provide childcare and preschool to low-income families at no charge. Private (individual and foundation) funding allows us to respond to community needs in ways that go beyond the contract.
In particular, we need funds to sustain and grow our diaper bank, which is the only one in Santa Barbara County. We use our funding to pay our staff equitably and to expand our services across the county to the areas of greatest need.
Q: What types of fundraisers and/or programs does your nonprofit run?
A: LEAP holds an annual, virtual, event honoring two remarkable individuals in our community. This year, we are honoring Kristen Miller, President and CEO of the Southcoast Chamber of Commerce, and Katya Armistead, Associate Vice Chancellor and Dean of Students at UCSB.
Our event is free and virtual. The year’s LEAP Awards will be held on Thursday, February 29 (LEAP Day!) at 4:00 PM. To register click here.
The event is FREE and online.
Q: Describe your organizations staffing models and internal operations. Has anything changed since the start of your nonprofit?
A: LEAP has grown tremendously since our birth in 1971. Our management is very lean. We invest heavily in staff that work directly with children and families. Our Children’s Center currently employs 30 excellent teachers and teaching assistants who work directly in our classrooms, caring for our students ages 0 – 5 year-round.
The Children’s Center has a small office staff to support parents and teachers and manage enrollment and our facility. Our Family Resource Center is staffed by 5 excellent Family Advocates who provide more than 12,000 services to more than 2500 individuals every year.
Q: How do people get involved/volunteer for your nonprofit?
A: We are always looking for people who want to volunteer at our monthly food distribution. Additionally, we love having volunteers who want to hold babies, read to our students, or just play with them on the playground. To learn more about volunteer opportunities, email info@leapcentralcoast.org.
Q Can you share one or two stories of individuals whose lives have been changed because of your organization?
A: Rose, a resilient mother of three children ages 13, 10, and 2, and the main breadwinner for her family is facing immense challenges while battling cancer and undergoing chemotherapy.
While her employer has been somewhat flexible given her situation, she has still had to cut back her hours and money has become very tight. Her husband, an undocumented immigrant, is currently not employed due to his status.
An additional challenge is that while Rose and her husband had started the lengthy and expensive immigration process, it has been put on hold due to her health condition. Despite her ill health and subsequent financial struggles, Rose is determined to provide the best for her family.
Rose found a lifeline when she was referred to LEAP by a Goleta Unified School District Community Liaison. LEAP Family Advocates are warm, accessible, and empathetic social service providers. They work with families, through a strengths-based approach, to promote the health, academic success, and wellbeing of children. They have been working alongside Rose as she navigates the path towards a more secure future.
LEAP has been actively supporting Rose and her family in a variety of ways, working to ensure their access to essential resources for their health, well-being, and success. Access to healthcare was crucial for the family, and we assisted Rose in applying for MediCal coverage. We also assisted her in applying for CalFresh.
However, the application process hasn’t been easy. Their CalFresh application has faced delays, even though they qualify for expedited emergency services. LEAP has been advocating on their behalf, dealing with the bureaucracy, and working to ensure that they receive the nutrition support they desperately need.
At LEAP, in times of need, we are also able to provide concrete support. Rose and her husband come to our monthly free food distribution events, ensuring that they and their children have access to nutritious meals. We also provide them with free diapers and wipes through our Diaper Bank, ensuring that they have an adequate supply to keep their toddler clean, dry, and healthy.
Understanding the transformative power of education, we have supported them in applying for preschool for their 3-year-old. Finally, we’ve also connected Rose and her husband with Immigrant Hope, an organization dedicated to assisting immigrants on their journey towards legal residency.
Q: How does the work of your nonprofit get communicated to the public?
A: LEAP has a monthly email newsletter, a Facebook page and an Instagram.
Sign up for our newsletter and follow us on our social media!
Q: Can you tell us one short-term goal AND one long-term goal that your nonprofit has for the next year?
A: LEAP plans to expand into Lompoc in the next year and open another Children’s Center site. This site will eventually serve up to 60 children ages 0 – 5.
In the long term, we would like to open several more Children’s Center sites. We plan to embed a family advocate in our new sites, so that we can expand our community support, including our diaper bank.
Click here to support LEAP’s mission to create a community where children are loved, valued, and respected and families are supported to reach their highest potential.
Check out Noozhawk’s Guide to Giving for a full list of nonprofits to donate to this giving season.
If you would like to include your nonprofit in our Good for Santa Barbara section and Giving Guide click HERE.