Program Sites

Food Forward fights hunger and prevents food waste by rescuing fresh surplus produce, connecting this abundance with people experiencing food insecurity, and inspiring others to do the same. We recover produce across LA and Ventura counties through our two volunteer-run programs, Farmers Market Recovery and Backyard Harvest...

The Foodbank of Santa Barbara County’s mission is to end hunger and transform the health of Santa Barbara County through good nutrition. A food bank is a non-profit organization working to eliminate hunger by providing food, education and other resources to a network of hunger-relief charities and their communities.

Our mission is to build healthy lives for children and families, free of abuse, neglect, and violence. For The Child provides trauma specialized mental health care for low income and underserved children and teens, along with parent workshops and supports to strengthen families and prevent abuse.

Our mission is to build healthy lives for children and families, free of abuse, neglect, and violence. For The Child provides trauma specialized mental health care for low income and underserved children and teens, along with parent workshops and supports to strengthen families and prevent abuse.

Free Rein’s Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy programs provide incredible benefits for people suffering from anxiety, depression, anger management issues, drug addiction, grief and loss, and trauma.  During EAP sessions mental health treatment goals and issues are addressed through activities that aim to reflect real life issues.  As counseling and therapy are part of the process, our EAP professionals are obliged to follow a code of ethics such as respecting confidentiality and privacy of the client/s, as with any psychotherapeutic modality.

Our Equine-Assisted Learning Programs are focused on children and teenagers who learn valuable life lessons with the help of our horses.  In our 8-week (one session per week) EAL program, kids learn about themselves, their relationships with other people, and about their interaction with the world around them.  Our proprietary curriculum, developed by Free Rein’s founder, Dr. Carole Harris, specifically addresses issues that children and teenagers face, including peer pressure, bullying, drugs, gangs, leadership, and self-confidence.

For 20 years, the Freedom Writers Foundation has mitigated student dropout rates by reproducing the Freedom Writers’ experience in schools around the world. The Foundation’s mission is to provide educators with tools to empower all students to succeed. Our core programs include Training, Outreach, Scholarship, and Curriculum.

The Training Program includes a 5-day intensive workshop led by Erin Gruwell that helps educators of all subjects and grade levels focus on the humanity of every student. Through keynote speeches by Erin and the Original Freedom Writers, the Outreach Program improves classroom attendance, increases student and employee engagement, and fosters inclusive campus atmospheres. The Scholarship Program provides support for first-generation college students who have remarkable academic promise despite tremendous adversity.

In an effort to ensure that members achieve great futures, the BGCLB provides the Five Core Youth Development Initiative, which is a key strategy for increasing our impact on youth. This will ensure that our community’s young people can reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.

...