Friendship Center was proud to honor the veterans we serve with another wonderful celebration on Thursday, November 10th, from 12-1:30pm. Fabulous weather, delicious food and drink, a great emcee, and live singing all added to the joyful occasion. “At Friendship Center we celebrate and honor our Veterans who sacrificed so much for us and our Country.” said Heidi Holly,…
by Jean Hall, Administrative Lead Paloma Espino and Steven Sharpe have been elected to the Board of Directors for Friendship Center, and Cynder Sinclair has been elected board president for the 2022-23 term. Paloma Espino is the current administrator for Sarah House, a local nonprofit that provides end-of-life care for community members. She said there are many lessons to be…
Friendship Center has faithfully served our senior members through every transition we have experienced together, including these past few years in the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic. With the desire to decrease isolation and increase our members’ engagement with their community and peers, Friendship Center has reimagined focus on LEAP (Life Enrichment Activity Program). LEAP delivers EXACTLY what health professionals recommended for seniors…
by Sophia Davis, Development Director Friendship Center celebrated its 10th Annual Wine Down on September 8th, 2022, from 4 to 7pm, outdoors at our Montecito Center’s beautiful courtyard. This delicious and delightful event brought patrons together to enjoy an evening of great local wines and beer, along with mouthwatering hors d’oeuvres and live music, all for a good cause! The…
The past few months have not just been blooming, but metamorphosing at Friendship Center! In March 2022, the Assistance League of Santa Barbara® teamed up with Friendship Center to transform our Sweet Pea Patio garden into an environment designed to raise and release monarch butterflies. It was quite the process; from getting the proper enclosures, to selecting plants that…
Friendship Center in collaboration with VNA Health were proud to host a very special Veterans Pinning Ceremony on Thursday April 7th. This event honored and recognized 14 veterans, 11 of whom are currently members at the Center. Army, Air Force, Marines, and Navy were all represented by our veterans who fought in WWII, Korea, Vietnam, and Iraq/Afghanistan conflicts. We…
By Sophia Davis, Development Director Every year, Friendship Center raises money for HEART (Helping Elders At Risk Today) to benefit low to moderate income members attending the Center. This year’s theme was “What’s Your Superpower?” Sophia Davis, Director of Development, describes her role in creating Festival of Hearts as “weaving the creative theme into a functioning event, and developing…
Our Executive Director, Heidi Holly was interviewed alongside caregiver Marlene Vitanza to discuss the positive impact Friendship Center has made for her husband and member, John, as well as herself. Our members were filmed as they enjoyed singing with Carol Ann (our Vitality partner from SBCC), and while doing outdoor activities with our wonderful staff members. “We really focus…
Like the rest of our community, Friendship Center has seen so much change in recent years. In two short years we have gone from a thriving day program to shutting down, to creating our multifaceted virtual and telehealth Community Adult Connect Program, and to re-opening our hybrid, cohorted day program. Maintaining people’s health and safety while creating spaces for…
Friendship Center’s hybrid day program will consist of a morning (9-12:30 p.m.) and an afternoon (1:30-5 p.m.) session, Monday through Thursday. Your loved one will be assigned to one of these sessions in which they will be able to exercise (Yoga? Tai Chi? Cycling without Age anyone?), listen to music (The Beatles, Elvis Presley, The Beach Boys – oh…