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Welcome to Santa Barbara Bucket Brigade
Pandemic Volunteers Page!
We need your help!

The Santa Barbara Bucket Brigade is working to help meet critical needs in our community.  Volunteers are urgently needed to support local critical services during the pandemic.

March 26, 2020

We are calling for volunteers to support the following volunteer operations in Santa Barbara County.  

We are looking for volunteers who:

  • Are 18 to 40 years old.  *NOTE: If you are older than 40, your coronavirus health risks go up for each year of age. If you still want to volunteer anyway, that is entirely up to you.
  • Have not been out of the country in the last 30 days
  • Are currently in good health.
  • Have no health conditions that would increase vulnerability to the coronavirus.

Here are the critical service volunteer operation volunteer opportunities right now:

Foodbank of Santa Barbara County 

The Foodbank of Santa Barbara County needs volunteers to help carry out its Disaster Feeding Plan during this pandemic. There are several duties and shifts available, including working at the call center and delivering food to community members in need.

Shifts: 

Food delivery —

  • Each morning from approximately 9:45 am to 12 pm. 

Call center —

  • 9 am to 12 pm, Monday through Friday
  • 12 pm to 3 pm, Monday through Friday

Note: Times and days may vary.

Locations:

Food deliveries occur in Goleta, Santa Barbara, and Carpinteria. You will be provided details when you sign up. 

The Foodbank call center is located at:

4554 Hollister Avenue
Santa Barbara, CA 93110

How to Volunteer: 

To register for volunteer shifts, please contact the Foodbank directly: foodbanksbc.volunteerhub.com

Please register in advance of each shift. After you sign up, on the confirmation page you will find a link to a “Volunteer Pass” that you can print and keep in your car as you drive to and from shifts. These passes will also be available at your shift location. 

Safety: 

The Foodbank follows food-handling guidelines and enhanced workplace and volunteer guidelines during this pandemic. Volunteers for the Foodbank will be sworn in as “Disaster Service Workers” by Santa Barbara County; this designation provides extra protections.  

More info:

foodbanksbc.org

United Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Barbara County Westside Clubhouse

The Westside Boys & Girls Club in Santa Barbara has a need for volunteers to sort and box food items to be picked up by community members in need.

Shifts: 

  • 10:30 am to 12:30 pm, Monday through Friday
  • 12:30 pm to 3 pm, Monday through Friday
  • 9 am to 12 pm, Saturday and Sunday

Location:

Westside Boys & Girls Club
602 West Anapamu Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93101

Parking:

Street parking only.

Scope of Work:

  • Inside: 2-3 volunteers to sort and box food items.
  • Outside: 1-2 volunteers to place boxed food on table for pickup.

Safety:

The Boys & Girls Club follows safety procedures provided by the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County. Inside, the building is spacious and well ventilated. Social distancing is required. People picking up food are not allowed inside.

Outside, people line up along markers and cones that provide spacing. There is no contact between volunteers or between volunteers and people picking up food.

The facility provides gloves, masks, and areas for hand-washing.

How to Volunteer:

Call Operations Director Priscilla Hernandez —
(805) 464-1516

United Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Barbara County, Goleta Boys & Girls Club Sal Rodriguez Clubhouse

The Goleta Boys & Girls Club has a need for volunteers to sort and box food items to be picked up by community members in need.

Shifts: 

  • 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays
    Distributing bagged food items to individuals and families in need. This is a “drive-up only” location.
  • 9:45 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
    Bagging food items.

Location:

Goleta Boys & Girls Club
5701 Hollister Ave
Goleta, CA 93117

Parking:

On-site. The Goleta Boys & Girls Club is located behind the Goleta Valley Community Center. The driveway to reach the Boys & Girls Club is located on the east side of the community center; follow this driveway around back to the large parking lot.

Scope of Work:

  • Sanitizing tables for food sorting.
  • Sorting and bagging/boxing food items.
  • Moving bags/boxes from sorting area to outside table.
  • Handing off bags/boxes in parking lot drive-through.

Safety:

The Boys & Girls Club follows safety procedures provided by the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County. Inside, the building is spacious and well ventilated. Social distancing is required. People picking up food are not allowed inside.

Outside, staff and volunteers hand off boxed food items to people waiting in their cars.

The facility provides gloves, masks, and hand-washing stations.

How to Volunteer:

Call Priscilla Hernandez (Volunteer Coordinator and Operations Director) —
(805) 464-1516

Community Action Commission, Carpinteria Senior Meals Program

The Community Action Commission (CAC) in Carpinteria needs volunteers to heat-up and hand-off prepackaged meals to seniors in need.

Shifts: 

  • 10:30 am to 12 pm, Monday through Friday

Location:

Veterans Memorial Building
941 Walnut Avenue
Carpinteria, CA 93013

Parking:

Street parking only.

Scope of Work:

  • Warm the prepackaged food in the oven in the industrial kitchen.
  • Organize food containers with prepackaged utensils and a beverage.
  • Move the meal from the kitchen to the pick-up area at the front door.
  • Sign in people who pick up a meal, and ask them if they will need a meal on the following day.

Safety:

Gloves and masks are provided. Nobody except CAC staff and volunteers are allowed inside the building. Social distancing is practiced. Meals are picked up at the front door; there is no contact allowed between staff, volunteers, and people picking up meals.

How to Volunteer:

Please contact the Santa Barbara Bucket Brigade —
contactus@sbbucketbrigade.org
Include your name, email, and phone number.
We will refer you to CAC staff.

Community Action Commission, Santa Maria Senior Meal Delivery

The Community Action Commission in Santa Maria needs volunteers to deliver meals to upward of 20 homebound seniors.

Shifts: 

  • 10 am to 1 pm,
    Monday through Friday

Location:

North County Kitchen
401 W Morrison Ave #D
Santa Maria CA 93454

Parking:

There is on-site parking, accessed through 509 W. Morrison Ave.
Santa Maria CA 93454, which is the CET parking lot, follows the driveway to back of the building (see map). This is the easiest way to access the kitchen.

 

Scope of Work:

  • There is currently a need for volunteers to deliver meals to upward of 20 homebound seniors.
  • Meals to be dropped off at front door.

Safety:

The CAC follows safety procedures provided and established in their Standard Operating Procedures as well as the Santa Maria School Districts. Social distancing is required. All meal containers/boxes are cleaned and sanitized by the school district.

The facility provides gloves, masks, and hand-washing stations.

How to Volunteer:

Please contact the Santa Barbara Bucket Brigade —
contactus@sbbucketbrigade.org
Include your name, email, and phone number.
We will refer you to CAC staff.

Santa Barbara County Emergency Homeless Shelter, Santa Maria

The County of Santa Barbara is seeking volunteers who are comfortable working with persons experiencing homelessness to assist with shelter operations under the direction and oversight of County staff.

Location:

Santa Maria High School Gymnasium
901 S. Broadway
Santa Maria CA 93454

Enter through Gate 12, off Stowell Road.

Scope of Work:

  • Assist with shelter operations under the direction and oversight of County staff.

Safety:

The shelter follows safety procedures established by the County of Santa Barbara.

  • Social distancing is required.
  • There are security guards on site at all times.
  • Everyone is required to wash their hands as soon as they walk in.
  • The facility provides PPE to volunteers.
  • Facilities are thoroughly sanitized every day and throughout the day as needed.

How to Volunteer:

If you are interested in volunteering, contact Ernesto Diaz:

e.diaz2@sbcsocialserv.org

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