Staff Report

A new wine club is inviting businesses and individuals to help protect abused, neglected and abandoned children from getting lost in the court system “in a fun and delicious way.”

The new C4K Wine Club supports the local nonprofit Court Appointed Special Advocates of Santa Barbara County, known as CASA. The club is owned and operated by Wine Club Processing, a local wine-club fulfillment business that supports social entrepreneurship and sustainability in Santa Barbara County.

Now accepting membership signups, the club aims to sign up 1,000 members by January 2018. A portion of its proceeds will support CASA.

The C4K Wine Club is a monthly wine club with an international team of world-renowned wine experts and sommeliers at the helm. The wines are sourced from small properties, almost always family-owned and with very limited production. They are generally unavailable or very difficult to find in the U.S. and impossible to obtain without insider access.

“This is a no-brainer,” said Doug Margerum, a C4K wine expert, winemaker and owner of Margerum Wines.  “Starting at only $49.99 per month, the prices are unbeatable for the quality of wine.  Each month, club wines arrive with tasting notes written by the experts, suggestions for food pairings and an in-depth background of each wine.”

In addition to Margerum, the club’s wine experts include James Beard Award winner Rajat Parr and Master Sommelier Brian McClintic, among others around the world.

“We have been looking for a sustainable way to support a great nonprofit, and this is it,” said Tony Papa, a club member and former CASA president. “My wife and I love the program because we can order a mixed case for entertaining.  There is something for everyone.”

To find out more about memberships, visit www.C4KWineClub.com.

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A new exhibit of creative digital art that showcases the area in and around Los Olivos will be shown at Los Olivos Wine Merchant & Café from May 4 to July 6.

Artist Patricia Stalter has a long history of transforming digital photography into fine art with image-editing software, including Photoshop and Corel Painter.

Stalter is active in local art organizations, and her work is regularly hung at area galleries and business establishments, with some featured at Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara. Her work can be seen at www.patricia-stalter.artstwebsites.com.

This exhibit is one of a continuing series of shows made possible by the commitment of the Los Olivos Wine Merchant & Café and the Santa Ynez Valley Art Association.

Wildling Museum seeking volunteers

The Wildling Museum is looking for volunteers who have a passion for art and nature. Volunteers get to experience great art while learning about the natural world, especially the uniqueness of the Santa Barbara region.

Help is needed in several areas, from staffing the front desk to preparing gallery spaces for new exhibits and assisting with events. There are opportunities available for the person who wants to volunteer once a week to someone who can only help once a month.

For more information, stop by the museum or contact Gigi at gigi@wildlingmuseum.org or 805-686-8315.

Hospital auxiliary announces 2017 volunteer leaders

The Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital Auxiliary named its 2017 leaders at a recent luncheon: Barbara Anderson, chair; Sharon Lewis, treasurer; Barbara Breza, secretary; Sonnie Lindquist, historian; Kathy Erb, “New to You” thrift shop manager and treasurer; Sharon Cloonan, membership; Phyllis Irwin, pet therapy; JoAnn Taylor, ambassador scheduler and orientation; Martine Surey, front desk scheduler and orientation; Pat Foxen, thrift shop scheduler; Judy Duffy, Emergency Department scheduler, and Barry Kuntz, bulletin editor.

The auxiliary, founded in 1962, is celebrating 55 years of dedication to Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital. The all-volunteer organization provides more than 15,000 service hours annually at both the hospital and the thrift shop at 1689 Oak St. in Solvang. Revenue from the thrift shop funds annual SYVCH Auxiliary Scholarship Awards for students pursuing a health or medical related field, as well as other needs at the hospital.

New members are always needed. For more information, call Martine Surey at 805-686-3971 or email msurey@sbch.org or visit the hospital’s volunteer website page at www.cottagehealth.org/santa-ynez-valley-cottage-hospital/volunteer.

C Gallery Offers “The Delicate Nature of Acrylics”

Beginning May 9, the C Gallery in Los Alamos offer a series of small Tuesday morning classes called “The Delicate Nature of Acrylics,”  featuring talented area artists in the area offering their perspectives and techniques in acrylic painting.

The artists include Carol Kemp, Peggy Brierton, Carol Carbine, Susan “Sukey” Buchanan, and perhaps some abstract artists as well.

The series is geared toward beginning students.

In May, the artist will be Peggy Brierton, former Zaca Creek Gallery owner and an award-winning acrylic landscape painter.

Because the studio at The C Gallery is small, the class size is limited to four painters.  To enroll, call 805-344-3807 or email connie@thecgallery.com.

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In conjunction with the California Coastal Horse Rescue (CCHR), the Conejo Valley Art Museum will produce a new exhibit of horse-themed art, entitled “A Dream of Equus”, and are asking for entires as far north as the Santa Ynez Valley.

Artists are encouraged to submit original equine-themed paintings, photographs, sculptures and multi-media to the Museum for consideration.  All entries must be received by the Museum on or before December 30, 2016.  Artists should send a CD of 10 images of the works they are entering, including the title, medium and size of each piece.  CDs should be mailed to the Conejo Valley Art Museum, P.O. Box 1616, Thousand Oaks, CA 91358.  A panel consisting of members of the Conejo Valley Art Museum Board of Trustees will judge the entries and make the final selection of works to be included.

A special fundraising event, The Night of the Horse: A Dream of Equus, to benefit the California Coastal Horse Rescue will be held at the Museum from 6 – 8 p.m.  on Thursday, February 23.

“We are honored to be partnering with the Conejo Valley Art Museum to create this unique equine exhibit,” said Adri Howe, President and Executive Director of the California Coastal Horse Rescue.  “We are excited to have the opportunity to host our annual fundraiser at such a beautiful venue, and look forward to sharing our mission with an even broader audience and raising funds for the care for our horses.”

“We are pleased to be able to promote the genre of equine art and welcome submissions from artists of all disciplines,” said Maria Dessornes, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Conejo Valley Art Museum.  “Our exhibit will provide both accomplished and emerging equine artists an excellent showcase for their work.”

An all-volunteer, non-profit organization located in Ojai, CCHR’s mission is to rescue abandoned, abused, neglected and slaughter-bound horses and provide them with a second chance at living healthy, happy and productive lives. www.calcoastalhorserescue.com.

“A Dream of Equus” will debut on Wednesday, February 8 and will run through June 11, 2017.  The Conejo Valley Art Museum is located at 275 North Moorpark Road, East, Thousand Oaks in the Janss Marketplace.  www.cvam.us.

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Community’s help sought again for food, gift donation programs

Star Report

With Halloween’s arrival, attention at People Helping People (PHP) turns to preparations for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.

PHP coordinates valley-wide programs to serve those in need at Thanksgiving and Christmas, so staff and volunteers are already very busy planning their projects, requesting donations of turkeys, and recruiting additional volunteers to distribute turkeys and gifts during these holidays. To make these programs successful, PHP needs assistance from community members.

At Thanksgiving, PHP expands its regular biweekly food program to distribute turkeys and all the fixings to between 185 and 225 low-income families and seniors. To do this, PHP must obtain food donations to supplement the nearly 10,000 pounds of food it normally delivers the Tuesday prior to the holiday.

Justin Wilkins, who is responsible for the food program at PHP, indicated that it is an annual struggle to meet the growing needs of the community.

“The Santa Barbara County Foodbank is always hard pressed to collect enough turkey donations for all the nonprofits it supports. If we cannot acquire enough donated turkeys from the community, we are forced to turn families away. It is truly heartbreaking when we have to tell someone we just don’t have enough,” Wilkins said.

PHP begins planning for Thanksgiving early with the hope that by alerting the public to the need for turkeys, they can help all the families who are income-qualified for assistance.  Donations of turkeys and other traditional accompaniments or cash gifts for those items can be made at PHP’s Service Center at 545 North Alisal Road in Solvang. PHP staff has already arranged for freezer and storage space so that PHP can begin taking donations immediately. You may also call Victor at 686-0295 to arrange a donation or even a pick-up.

Even before Thanksgiving arrives, PHP must also begin planning for its 22^nd annual valley-wide Christmas program, named “Fulfill-A-Wish.” In the true spirit of the Christmas season, a large cast of PHP staff and volunteers partner with “Toys 4 Tots” to distribute toys, gifts and clothing to families throughout the area. PHP is the only official organization in the Santa Ynez and Los Alamos Valleys designated by the Marine Corps Reserve to accept Toys 4 Tots donations.

Although families must meet income qualifications to participate in the PHP Fulfill-A-Wish program, the eligibility and distribution process is completed with the utmost sensitivity to and respect for the dignity of the families.

All items distributed at Fulfill-A-Wish are derived from donated materials or purchased with cash gifts specified for that purpose.  More than $20,000 in goods and 50 volunteers are needed to help fulfill families’ most basic needs at Christmas.  Last year, PHP’s Fulfill-A-Wish Program assisted 96 families, including 232 children.

Erica Valdés, PHP Associate Development Director, said that the overwhelming gratitude displayed by parents who are enabled to provide something on Christmas day for their kids makes the tremendous organizational effort worthwhile.

“It is a wonderful feeling to help so many celebrate who otherwise could not,” Valdés said.

According to Valdés, many of those assisted are victims of domestic violence, single moms, and very-low-income families working in the local service and agricultural industries.

PHP will distribute Christmas gifts from the Fulfill-A-Wish Boutique, which will be located in a donated store front. The Boutique, opened for the first time in 1995, will be decorated, stocked by volunteers, and be ready for operation on December 19, 20, and 21.  On those days, families and individuals meeting the PHP eligibility criteria will be scheduled to visit the Boutique and choose a limited number of gifts based upon the size of their family. Wilkins said that the boutique will be open each evening in order to accommodate working families.

PHP’s Chief Executive Officer, Dean Palius, said the Fulfill-A-Wish program represents the very best of the valley community.

“It is an amazing outpouring of generosity of many individuals and groups in the Valley.  A great debt of gratitude is owed to the many businesses, schools, churches, and agencies that sponsor locations for donation boxes, the staff of Christensen and Drake that donate many hours to set-up and decorate the boutique, and to the many other generous volunteers and donors who give of their time, toys, clothing, and funds,” Palius added.

To make donating to Fulfill-A-Wish convenient, gift-wrapped donation boxes advertising Toys 4 Tots and “wish lists” will be available throughout the valley beginning in early November.

Each year, the Fulfill-A-Wish program is especially in need of clothing for children, from infants to teens, and gift items suitable for teens. According to PHP staff, gift cards are a great option for teen contributions.

Individuals or groups interested in making a donation can receive a list of recommended items from PHP, purchase any of the items on the wish list, and drop them — unwrapped — into one of the donation boxes around the community or deliver them to the People Helping People offices at 545 North Alisal Road, Solvang.

Individuals and families can support PHP’s Fulfill-A-Wish Program and help make this a happier holiday season for Valley families and children with a donation of a gift, wrapping paper, or cash; placement of a donation box in a business; or by volunteering time to fulfill Christmas wishes.

For additional information, contact Marisela at People Helping People at 686-0295.

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The cover story for the November Santa Ynez Valley Star on local nonprofit We Support the Troops SYV moved Doniece Parson and Jon McDermott, owners of Mother Hubbard’s Restaurant in Buellton, and they decided to donate all their profits from their November Farm to Table Locavore dinner on November 19 to the organization.

“If you truly want to provide support to the brave men and women who have truly been in harms way for the last 15 years, this is a local group who send care packages to troops around the globe. So please, if you’ve ever thought of attending one of our dinners make it this one. You’ll get a four course dinner that’s locally sourced and provide financial support to a wonderful cause,” Parson said.

The menu has been set to:
House Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Figs
Roasted Butternut Squash and Pumpkin Soup
Steak Gorgonzola with Crispy Basil
Homemade Pasta

and dessert of Pumpkin Waffles with Ice Cream

Reservations required by Tuesday, Nov. 15 either by calling 688-3912 or email motherhubbardsrestaurant@verizon.net.

From the Santa Ynez Valley Star cover story:

Retired Air Force Col. Pat Sullivan realized in 2004 that the war in the Middle East wasn’t going to end anytime soon, so she decided to do send care packages to help the U.S. troops there.

Sullivan and Sonie Lindquist, both valley residents, launched SYV Support the Troops — but October was the first month they didn’t prepare any packages, because of a lack of funds. Sullivan tries to provide as much as she can from her own pocket and has had support from local organizations such as the Santa Ynez Elks, but the donations have been dwindling.

“We need all we can get for our Christmas boxes. We are hoping to raise $20,000 because the cost of shipping overseas is so expensive,” Sullivan said.

The recipients are usually connected to someone from the Santa Ynez Valley, whether it’s a relative or a friend or co-worker. They send letters to Sullivan requesting things such as phone cards to call home, jerky, baby wipes, moisturizer, shampoo, batteries, and sanitary items for the women.

To see the things that the group sends, and find out how to help, go to www.supportsoldiers.us.

“We don’t just send to soldiers in the Middle East. We are now sending to the Philippines and Africa. Wherever there are conflicts, we want to make sure our troops have provisions and a little love from home,” Sullivan said.

The next packing date, for the Christmas box shipment, is at 10:30 a.m. Nov. 30. To learn more, call Sullivan at 688-8404. Sullivan encourages donating to the group’s GoFundMe page at https://www.gofundme.com/wstcarepackages?ssid=775999723&pos=9, following them on Facebook at We Support The Troops SYV, or logging onto www.supportsoldiers.us.

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This event is being held in Santa Barbara County for the first time this year; and nationally, is the 8^th annual FOP Walk/Run. All proceeds and donations from this event in Buellton will directly benefit people in Santa Barbara County to ease the financial stresses of the working poor. Registration opens at 8 a.m. and the Walk/Run will begin at 9 a.m.; participants will be encouraged to walk/run laps around scenic River View Park until the conclusion at noon. There will be refreshments, games for children and free information about SVdP services available throughout the morning.

“Year-round, our SVdP volunteers in Santa Barbara County provide housing and utility assistance, auto repairs, medical and dental assistance, food, furniture, clothing, and other emergency needs. None of our works of charity could be accomplished without the generous support of many people and the dedicated members of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. We encourage the community to participate in the Friends of the Poor Walk/Run this year in Buellton,” said Susan Megliola, SVdP Santa Barbara District President, a resident of Solvang.

Within the Santa Barbara District of SVdP, there are seven Conferences of Charity comprising more than 125 active volunteers from parishes including Old Mission Santa Barbara, San Rafael (Goleta); San Roque (Santa Barbara), La Purisima (Lompoc); Old Mission Santa Ines (Solvang), St. Mary of the Assumption (Santa Maria) and Our Lady of Guadalupe. In 2015, Santa Barbara District SVdP paid out $150,000 in direct aid and an equivalent amount of in-kind goods and services to 1,800 neighbors.

Anyone interested in learning more about the SVdP Friends of the Poor Walk/Run, participating or making a pledge can visit www.fopwalk.org  or go to the Santa Barbara District site www.svdpusa.net/walk/1641

The Friends of the Poor Walk/Run is held near September 27, the feast day of the Society’s patron, St. Vincent de Paul, who ministered to the poor in Paris in the 17^th century. One of the largest charitable organizations in the world, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul  is an international, nonprofit, Catholic lay organization of more than 800,000 men and women who voluntarily join together to grow spiritually by offering person-to-person service to the needy and suffering in 150 countries on five continents. With USA headquarters in St. Louis, membership in the United States totals more than 150,000 volunteers in 4,400 communities.

SVdP offers a variety of programs and services including: home visits, housing assistance, disaster relief, job training and placement, food pantries, dining halls, clothing, and assistance with transportation and utility costs. In 2013, SVdP provided more than $795 million in tangible and in-kind services to those in need, made more than 1.7 million personal visits (homes, hospitals and prisons) and helped approximately 11 million people regardless of race, religion or national origin throughout the world.

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Mr. Geffen joins legendary singer-songwriter and social justice activist David Crosby and wife Jan in their financial support of the Rona Barrett Foundation through the nonprofit’s Golden Stars campaign.

“The David Geffen Foundation’s recognition of the Rona Barrett Foundation and vision for the first affordable housing campus for vulnerable seniors is a big step forward in making Hollywood and other billion dollar foundations aware of the need for greater support to solve a nationwide crisis in how we house and care for the very population that helped build this country,” said Rona Barrett, Founder and CEO of the Rona Barrett Foundation.

The Rona Barrett Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, was founded by Rona Barrett, the former premier entertainment industry reporter who has been a senior advocate for 20 years since retiring from the entertainment industry.

“Becoming a permanent part of the Golden Inn & Village will also touch the lives, every day, of seniors who need to know that they are not forgotten and alone in their golden years,” said Barrett.

The Golden Stars campaign provides opportunities for donors to be commemorated with a permanent plaque displaying their name next to the door of at one of the 60 Golden Inn & Village apartments, community rooms and other special features of the campus.

Mr. Geffen, one of the most successful entrepreneurs in every facet of the entertainment industry has dedicated major support to healthcare, the arts, civil liberties, HIV/AIDS, and issues of concern to the Jewish community; and has now added senior affordable housing and care services to his long list of philanthropic giving.

The Golden Inn & Village will provide a continuum of senior care services, a vibrant community center, on-site, multi-generational employee/family housing, and life enriching programs for low-income vulnerable seniors. The Golden Inn & Village is a project of the Rona Barrett Foundation in partnership with Housing Authority of the County of Santa Barbara and Surf Development.

The Rona Barrett Foundation is a non-profit organization that seeks to provide a solution to affordable housing and supportive services for seniors in need with the development of the Golden Inn & Village, where seniors may access a variety of care that meets their needs as they age in place. To become a Golden Star or learn more about the Golden Inn & Village, please visit www.ronabarrettfoundation.org.

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