Santa Barbara Rescue Mission is holding its 25th annual fundraiser, Islands in the Sun, Bayou 2026, a casual outdoor event, 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3 at Sandpiper Golf Club.
The benefit will feature online bidding for gifts from Santa Barbara’s exclusive silent auction.
The Women’s Auxiliary organizes this event, which includes dinner with an island view from the Grand Lawn presented by Solera & Co.
Â
Kathleen Baushke will be honored at the Bayou with the Léni Fé Bland Award for her longstanding leadership and compassionate service.
Baushke is the executive director of Transition House, a homeless shelter and housing developer helping families experiencing homelessness find stability and hope.
       Â
Funds raised at Bayou 2026 will allow the Rescue Mission to offer its 12-month residential drug and alcohol treatment program and provide emergency and transitional services for homeless guests.
Last year, the Bayou event raised some $750,000 to assist people seeking shelter and recovery from drug and alcohol addiction. The Mission has helped more than 1,000 people achieve recovery in the last 29 years.
“Together, we are not only transforming the lives of individuals, but we’re also changing and saving entire families,” said Rolf Geyling, Rescue Mission president. “Generations from now, people will be living in hope and freedom because of the Mission and our donors who make it possible.”
Â
For more event information, visit www.sbrm.org/bayou. Â
Established in 1965, Santa Barbara Rescue Mission, a 501(c)(3) organization, works to transform the lives of those who suffer from homelessness and addiction.
It is the only organization between Oxnard and Santa Maria that provides hot meals and overnight accommodation to homeless guests 365 days of the year.
The Rescue Mission offers men’s and women’s 12-month residential treatment, family support, relapse prevention, men’s sober living, academic instruction, and job skills training. The Rescue Mission receives no government funding.