Local heroes honored with special lunch in Santa Barbara

The Santa Barbara Independent has honored its annual local heroes with a special lunch and a chance to be in the spotlight for their efforts.

The honorees were brought together with the newspaper’s staff at the SOHO restaurant Thursday afternoon.

19 awards were given out either to individuals or groups.

Among them, a library worker, a treasured employee at Ralph’s downtown, a man who helps homeless veterans, a businessman who give out free glasses to students in need, and a large group encompassing the first and second responders to our recent disasters.

Abe Powell from the Bucket Brigade said the people in the room were a sign of love for their community and their efforts, all different, demonstrated how diverse and strong the residents of this area have shown themselves to be.

The full list of winners and their stories can be found at https://www.independent.com/news/2018/nov/21/local-heroes-2018.

The Independent has been picking local heroes either through its staff or nominations from the community for 32 years.