Look for the Helpers: food for restaurant workers, keeping teens connected, physical distance dance
As our area is faced with ongoing changes due to a growing pandemic, we are bringing stories of people doing good in the community during a time of uncertainty.
Look for the helpers.
Mister Rogers
Local Love Project
Some restaurant employees in Ventura who lost their jobs during COVID-19 are getting some help.
The Local Love Project, a local nonprofit, and Winchesters Grill and Saloon partnered up to feed families and give them household supplies.
On Saturday, they gave away 140 boxes of fresh produce, 140 bags filled with toilet paper, hand sanitizer, paper towels and batteries.
"We wanted to do a shoutout to all those in the food industry and we know you are among the hardest hit and we are here for you," said Kat Merrick of the Local Love Project.
The Local Love Project and Winchesters say they plan to do this every Saturday at 3:00 p.m. in the parking lot near Winchesters.
For more information, click here.
Lifting Teens' Spirit
Aha! of Santa Barbara is finding a way to keep hundreds of teens connected while they stay at home.
Aha! focuses on social and emotional health and has been around since 1999.
And now they are continuing their programs on Zoom, including weekly meetings for teens ages 13 to 19.
The groups have ten participants and facilitators, and a therapist helping teens focus on ways to stay emotionally, mentally and physically well during quarantine.
The program is available to anyone regardless of where they live.
Aha! is also developing a group for young adults who are facing uncertain futures, and a monthly group for adults.
Aha! was founded by Dr. Jennifer Freed and Rendy Freedman. On their Instagram account, staff and teens are sharing fun and educational ways to stay positive.
So if you know a teen who needs some support go to their website.
Bells Are Ringing
A familiar sound is in the air; the bells in Santa Barbara's beloved courthouse clock tower are finally ringing again.
They stopped ringing back in July of 2019 after a bolt broke and jammed some gears.
Volunteers and members of the Bisno Schall clock gallery have been working diligently to repair the system and now it's back!
Bringing some sense of normalcy to our community.
Coronavirus Tikis
A Santa Maria man is bringing humor to his neighborhood.
John Hall is making coronavirus tikis out of wood and giving them away for free to lift community spirit.
Some are also on display at his home on the 500 block of Pioneer Court.
Hall says he got his inspiration in Hawaii where they make tikis to chase away evil spirits.
So he made some of his own tikis to chase away the coronavirus!
Physical Distance Dance
A fun video from the santa barbara county sheriff's office.
The department posted this video to instagram this morning.
It shows two officers from different agencies greeting each other with an "air high five" then they do a dance, but remaining several feet away from each other.
Know of any other helpers making a difference during these trying times? Send Alys an email and let her know!
