​In this Issue:

• Inspirational Site Visits
• Tiny Houses in action
• Membership Corner
• Join/Renew by December 31
• Happy Holidays​

Site Visits Informative and Inspirational

​Click here to view the 2016 Site Visit photo gallery. 

The 2016 Site Visits were truly informative and inspirational:

• We rode in an Easy Lift van that transports children to valued services in town.
• We toured the Doctors Without Walls mobile medical clinic and spoke to doctors about the impact we're having on homeless lives.
• We swooned over the infants and toddlers at Isla Vista Youth Projects where children from low-income families receive quality child care. 
• We saw teachers inspiring students at the Isla Vista Recreation & Park District’s after-school program and learned about progress on the covered outdoor center.
• We heard students describe the hopelessness of their early teen years and how the Academy for Success program at Dos Pueblos High School has turned their lives around.
• We saw students creating a productive future by learning the construction trades as they build a Tiny House at Dos Pueblos High School.
• We connected with low-income seniors who live in the security of Garden Court facility and heard progress on the Gardens on Hope project.

Thank you to our Grantee Liaison, Jayne Brechwald, and her fabulous coordinators, for making the 2016 Site Visits such a tremendous success!

Tiny Houses, TRADART and the Women's Fund

The Santa Barbara High Tiny House has progressed since these photos were taken.
Click here to view a flyover of the first wall going up.

The success of the Tiny House project at the three participating local high schools—Dos Pueblos, San Marcos and Santa Barbara—falls significantly on the shoulders of two instructors—Caleb Chadwick at Santa Barbara High and Chris Mollkoy at Dos Pueblos. Caleb teaches in both the construction and the Academy for Success programs.

Eighty-nine of Caleb’s students have made significant progress toward the completion of their Tiny House, and we recently had the opportunity to visit with him and view the construction site. It’s impressive. As the photos depict, walls have been framed and attached to the trailer base, while other work continues in the classroom and will be added sequentially. The pace to continue the house is deliberate and steady, and leading the student team is Project Manager Melissa Perez. Her work is meticulous and her attitude inspiring. READ MORE

Membership Corner

We welcomed 27 new members in November—Allison Armour, Dianne Black, Wendy Brown, Ann Grace Corselius-Willson, Heather Craigie, Denise Dannemiller, Bonnie Dattel, Lila Deeds, Cherie Demopoulos, Patty Erbe, Kate Faust, Angela Foote, Janet Gordon, Barbara Hershberg, Jo Ann Magistad, Mary Marshall, Kaitlyn McQuown, Lindy Merrill, Lynn Rodriguez, Marie Romasanta, Patricia Sadeghian, Patricia Saley, Jan Shiells, Linda Southwell, Janice Thomson, Shirley Waxman and Donna Will.

We welcomed five new membership groups in 2016—Aloha Spirit, Breast Friends, Encore, Novel Women and Riviera.

Women’s Fund member and Researcher, Ann Lippincott, was named a 2016 local hero by the Independent. Ann is Group Captain of Ann’s Group. Like many of our groups, Ann’s keeps growing and growing!

Help make this year the best EVER!

Only TWO WEEKS remain before the 2016 membership year closes. Even if you have already renewed, there is still time to make an additional donation, so we can give more to deserving agencies.

Please remember: To be eligible to vote for our 2016-17 grantees, your membership donations must be received no later than December 31, 2016.

If you have questions about membership, contact our Membership Co-Chairs, Sallie Coughlin and Christine Riesenfeld.

Please join or renew Today!

Happy Holidays and a healthy, peaceful 2017!

We end this year with a reminder of the amazing year we have had…and with great expectations for 2017.