The Santa Barbara Rescue Mission will host its 19th Annual 4th of July BBQ, Raffle and Carnival, a celebration for community members experiencing homelessness.

Rescue Mission guests play red- white- and blue- colored games during July 4th celebration. (Dale Weber photo)
Rescue Mission guests play red- white- and blue- colored games during July 4th celebration. (Dale Weber photo)

The event will be 3-5 p.m. Saturday, July 4 in the Rescue Mission parking lot, 535 E. Yanonali St., which will be transformed into a carnival-themed gathering.

As part of its Independence Day tradition, the Rescue Mission will serve backyard barbecue-style meals to some 300 unhoused men, women and children.

Guests will enjoy lively music, carnival games, a staff dunk tank, and raffle prize drawings, all hosted by the Rescue Mission’s Women’s Auxiliary.

Adding to the day’s spirit of hospitality and hope, residents of the men’s 12-month Residential Treatment Program will assist with meal preparation and event support, organizers said.

“We look forward to this celebration every year,” said Rolf Geyling, president of the Santa Barbara Rescue Mission. “For many of our homeless neighbors, holidays can be especially difficult.

“This celebration is an opportunity to be seen, encouraged and reminded that there is hope for a better future.”

As the only organization in Santa Barbara providing overnight shelter throughout the summer, the Rescue Mission also offers services, including emergency care, case management, and long-term recovery.

In the past year alone, the Rescue Mission reports it has provided 140,000 meals and 55,000 safe nights of shelter for those with nowhere else to turn.
 
Established in 1965, the Santa Barbara Rescue Mission, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit brings physical, emotional, educational and spiritual resources to those in need.

It is the only organization between Oxnard and Santa Maria that provides hot meals and accommodation to homeless guests 365 days a year. It operates the longest and largest drug and alcohol treatment program on California’s Central Coast.

The 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 Santa Barbara Rescue Mission receives no government funding.