
Friendship Center is open as usual, Tuesday, January 18. Martin Luther King, Jr. (January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister and activist who became the most visible spokesman and leader in the American civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968. King advanced civil rights through nonviolence and civil disobedience, inspired by…

Friendship Center is now selling Axxess Cards! Axxess cards offer amazing local discounts in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. Better still, for each $40 Axxess Card sold, Friendship Center receives a $13 donation. Present your Axxess Card at local restaurants, coffee shops, fitness centers and more for 2-for-1 meals and/or significant discounts. Available now through early December. To purchase your…

Friendship Center staff hustled and bustled with excitement last Thursday in preparation for their public performance in the Virtual Solstice Parade. Development Director Sophia Davis choreographed, planned and coordinated with filming partner Jinny Ahn from Summer Solstice Celebration, Inc. to pull off a performance worthy of the big screen! The outdoor film set centered around Bessy the Friendship Center bus,…

May 13 marked the 11th monthly delivery of Friendship Center’s signature comfort-food for the isolated soul Take Care Totes. Beginning just 10 days after mandatory shelter-in-place orders, Friendship Center’s Take Care Tote program represents a lifeline to homebound, isolated seniors. “Ideally, Take Care Totes represent joy and love as they open the bags to see what activities, treats and…

Community Connect Adult Program members are familiar with Claire Arnold’s graceful, kind presence on their Zoom screens. Claire, Friendship Center’s intern from Westmont College, graduated in May and recently completed her eight-month internship. She’s been an asset to Friendship Center and a credit to Westmont College, and we will all miss her. While she is pursuing new opportunities in…

Big thanks to our neighbors at the Rosewood Miramar Beach Resort for contributing 42 lunches to Friendship Center’s monthly Take Care Totes, going out to isolated seniors! This is what community is all about!

by Laurie Mason, program coordinator Take Care Totes go out to members April 15 packed with practical items like chapstick, face masks, fruit cups and tissue packs, granola bars, chocolates and fresh fruit. This month a bit of luxury is included as well, donated by Rosewood Miramar Beach Resort in the form of a ready-made lunch. Games are an important part…

Beginning Monday, April 5, Friendship Center will start our virtual-programming day at 10 a.m. rather than 9 a.m. Hours will be from 10 a.m.—noon with a one-hour break for lunch, resuming at 1 p.m.—4 p.m. We will continue providing a more interactive agenda, including games with a purpose like Find the Differences, Wheel of Impressions, Stories and Discussions and Word…

Click here to make Friendship Center your AmazonSmile charity. Friendship Center is now registered with Amazon as a charitable organization through the AmazonSmile Foundation. If you choose Friendship Center as your charity, Amazon will donate 0.5% of every purchase to Friendship Center. Click above to automatically choose Friendship Center as your AmazonSmile charity. If you are logged in to Amazon…

“Head heart wrangler” Sharon Morrow collects, coordinates and catalogues the heart art for Friendship Center’s Festival of Hearts. (Rochelle Rose / Noozhawk photo) By Noozhawk contributing writer Rochelle Rose Link here for original article. Reposted with permission. Friendship Center recently wound down its 22nd annual Festival of Hearts virtual event themed “Love Is in the Air” to raise funds for its…

Thursday Feb. 11, 1 – 2 p.m. Family therapist, veteran’s advocate, and comedian by day, Carol Metcalf who moonlights as the Queen of Hearts will grace us with her majesty in full royal regalia 1:30 p.m. at Friendship Center’s Sweetheart’s Drive-In, Thursday 1-2 p.m. From the safety of their cars, members will enjoy treat bags, social interaction, a Valentine’s Day…

By Kathryn Cherkas, MIPH (photo: gift unwrapping party on Zoom with Friendship Center families) “Character and resiliency appear when challenges emerge”- Anonymous This year has been marked by challenges and heartache. Through it all, however, organizations in our community have held steadfastly to their commitments of serving those in need. The Unity Shoppe, a group that has a long history…

Friendship Center would like to extend a sincere thank you to the wonderful donors who helped us put together over 50 lunches for isolated seniors and their caregivers this Thanksgiving. Our neighbor, Chef Massimo, at the Rosewood Miramar provided DELICUOUS boxed lunches, Sprouts Market gave us enough gift cards to purchase tasty sides and meals for caregivers, Anna’s Bakery and…

**You do not need to confirm your lunch delivery; we will deliver lunches to all CCAP members unless otherwise stated!

Never sure what to get for the person who has everything? Do you want to give a present that has meaning behind it? This year, Friendship Center is introducing a gift that truly gives back. You can choose from 5 personalized cards, to be mailed or emailed to a recipient. Each card includes a brief narrative about a Friendship Center…

Join us for a Drive-In Halloween Bash on Thursday, October 29th at the Friendship Center’s Montecito location (not Mackenzie Park, as previously stated). The event will take place from 1:00pm-2:00pm in the Friendship Center parking lot at 89 Eucalyptus Lane, Santa Barbara 93108. Guests will remain in their car for the duration of the event but will enjoy the company…

Step 1: -go to friendshipcentersb.org -Click ‘Sign Up’ (circled in red) Step 2: -Press ‘Select’ under description of Individual Membership Level (for Individual membership access only) Step 3: -Review summary of services that come with your membership Step 4: -Create a username & password -Write in your email & contact information -add payment information Step 5: -Click ‘Submit and…

On Monday, October 12th, Friendship Center will be launching our first ever virtual membership program, the Community Connect Adult Program (CCAP). About the Community Connect Adult Program (CCAP): The Community Connect Adult Program is a virtual program that has been carefully crafted by the Friendship Center team since on-site programs were suspending in March 2020. Two seasons and seven-hundred…

Dear Friend, 2020 will forever be known as the year of one of the most impactful and furthest reaching public health events in history. We have had to pull together, and stand apart. With no stone unturned, we have had to re-think many of our routine habits through a new pandemic lens. In doing so, we have become even more…

By Naomi Edwards: Good sleep is something that is hard to come by, and with everything going on in the world, a full, restful night’s sleep is something that is few and far between for many. There are countless things that could be interfering with your sleep, but it is clear that without a good night’s sleep, we are unable…

Dear Friendship Center community and beyond, In order to continue to support our seniors safely at home, Friendship Center needs to support our staff. In order to do so, and to best serve our community, we will be transitioning our virtual activity programs into a paid membership program. Starting on October 12, you will need to sign up for a…

World Frontotemporal Degeneration Awareness Week September 27th-October 4th, 2020 Resources, text and information provided by: Association for Frontaltemporal Degeneration https://www.theaftd.org/ Alzheimer’s Association https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/what-is-dementia/types-of-dementia/frontotemporal-dementia Frontaltemporal Degeneration (FTD) represents a group of brain disorders caused by degeneration of the frontal and/or temporal lobes of the brain. FTD is the most common form of dementia for people under age 60. …

What: A photo contest to show off the best/ worst/ silliest contents from your fall wardrobe. How: Send the photos to activities@friendshipcentersb.org or text them to (805) 705-4106 When: Send in photos by October 22nd Who: ANYONE, ANYWHERE

The struggles of military life are best understood by fellow veterans. Our Veteran’s Support Group provides a comfortable, empathetic, and supportive environment where veterans can express their thoughts and feelings about military experience, life after military and learning or reinforcing coping skills. This virtual class is held via Zoom on the third Thursday of each month from 3:00pm-4:00pm. To access…

On Thursday, August 27th , Friendship Center held its second ever Drive-In Activity Hour at the Montecito site. The event, which was Luau themed, saw over twenty cars holding roughly forty guests in attendance. Members of our community, most of them being caregivers, brought their senior loved ones to Friendship Center’s tropically decorated parking lot for live yet socially distanced activities while…

By Kathryn Cherkas, MIPH None of us are exempt from feeling the stress in our country today. From political tensions and racial injustices to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are all impacted emotionally, physically or spiritually. Coping during this time is particularly difficult for those struggling with underlying mental health conditions, such as PTSD, depression or anxiety. The practice of ‘grounding’…

Join us on Thursday, August 27th from 3:00pm-4:00pm in the Friendship Center Montecito parking lot for a LUAU! Adhering to proper social distancing measures, we invite you to join us for an hour of activities with your loved one from your car. Cars will be spaced at least 6ft from on another and staff, who will be dispersed through the…

On August 5th, Friendship Center once again teamed up with the Santa Barbara Bucket Brigade to assemble and distribute nearly 130 Take Care Totes to isolated seniors in our community. What to expect in this month’s delivery: a plethora of snacks, beverages, personal care items, activity and art supplies, fiesta knick-knacks, face masks and our fabulous, personally curated activity sheet…

By Kathryn Cherkas For over 40 years, Friendship Center has been a post in our community for compassionate care for aging adults. Friendship Center’s two sites, one in Montecito and the other in Goleta, offer exciting day programs for adults and seniors to enjoy daily while offering caregivers respite. Since closing our physical doors on March 16th due to COVID-19 precautions, we have had to find alternative…