This blog post is sponsored by Santa Barbara’s Master Clean. Thank you Master Clean for donating the FDA-approved, EPA-registered cleaning and sanitizing Pure Maintenance service to all our buildings to help us safe continue to providing service to the community. Mater Clean is offering this service at 50% off to local business working to reopen, and an ongoing 10% off to local nonprofits.
In the face of everything that’s happened over the last four months, I have been trying to focus on what’s been good. In my life, I have a lot of things to be grateful for.
Lately, I’ve been really proud of my work at Sanctuary Centers. Here’s how it all began:
After moving into my new apartment in downtown Santa Barbara years ago, I wanted to get more involved with the organization that helped me find, and manages, my housing. So, I volunteered to take on a leadership role in my new home. At the time I didn’t know what this would look like or what was needed.
One of the Sanctuary Centers’ staff members and I were talking about the Foodbank of Santa Barbara, and how neat it would be if we brought the food to the Arlington and Hollister apartment buildings to make sure the other tenants had regular access to supplement their needs. I decided this would be the best way for me to get involved. I began to help organizing the food donations and collections from the FoodBank and distribute it to the people in the Sanctuary Center’s apartment buildings from a corner of the lobby, where I set up a table on Fridays. Kit’s Korner felt like a natural name for it and everyone agreed that it had a nice ring to it.
Kit’s Korner with food displays from three Fridays
On the table, we put out food for everyone. Every week, I organize the items and arrange them on the table, so they look good. I pay attention to everything that people are taking. It’s important to pay attention, because I only allow people to take one or two of each item, so there is always enough for everyone. And, so they don’t load up on unhealthy foods! The first day of Kit’s Korner went very well, and we continued to bring out food for fellow tenants weekly.
I have been running Kit’s Korner for about five years now, and it has been such a blessing for me. I feel engaged with my community here and like I’m contributing a valuable service to my neighbors.
It’s exciting to have this responsibility. It sometimes turns into a social hour, and I get to catch up with people I don’t get to talk to that much. They’re all so happy to get free food and they don’t have to go to the grocery store. It is an especially important service now because many tenants in the buildings are vulnerable to Covid-19!
A lot of work goes into this, and it couldn’t happen without the team at Sanctuary Centers and all their hard work. I also want to thank the Sanctuary Centers Board for their support and donations, too. My friends and neighbors continue to enjoy Kit’s Korner, and it makes me happy to continue being of service.
If you know of any local organizations that have food donation services in place, please leave a comment! Another thanks to our friends at the Foodbank of Santa Barbara and Master Clean, who donated gift cards to Sanctuary Centers’ apartment tenants to help out!
