Hospice of Santa Barbara Helps Spanish-Speakers Cope With Loss Through Hispanic Family Services Program

Hospice of Santa Barbara is here to care for everyone in the community coping with loss – including Spanish-speakers.

Hospice of Santa Barbara’s Hispanic Family Services offers free counseling, support groups and education to help Spanish (and English) speaking adults, teens and children cope with the death of a loved one.

While Hospice of Santa Barbara has offered some bilingual counseling in recent years, the organization recently was able to offer a full range of services. Now, in addition to one-on-one counseling in Spanish, Hospice of Santa Barbara is offering a Spanish-speaking grief group for the first time, in response to increasing Hispanic intake numbers and client interest. In the first quarter of 2011, Hospice of Santa Barbara had 64 new clients enter the Spanish-speaking programs, including 26 children.

“From our beginnings 37 years ago, our goal has been to serve all the children, teenagers and families of our community with free, compassionate and practical care,” said Steve Jacobsen, Hospice of Santa Barbara Executive Director. “Thanks to our donors, we are now able to offer the Spanish-speaking families our full range of services. We are already seeing the profound difference this is making in the lives of more and more families.”

Join Hospice of Santa Barbara on July 8th for Dia de las Comidas as three popular family-owned area restaurants generously open their doors and hearts in support of the organization’s Hispanic Family Services. Carlitos Café y Cantina in Santa Barbara, Cava Restaurant & Bar in Montecito and Dos Carlitos Restaurant & Tequila Bar in Santa Ynez will donate a generous portion of the day’s proceeds from all three restaurants to Hospice of Santa Barbara.

“When my family first heard about Hospice of Santa Barbara’s Hispanic Family Services we were immediately drawn to the program’s mission,” said Carlos Lopez-Hollis, who manages his family’s trio of renowned restaurants. “We are excited to partner with Hospice of Santa Barbara to help fundraise and promote these vital and compassionate Latino outreach efforts. We look forward to the community’s support on Dia de las Comidas.”

Please show your support for Hispanic Family Services at Hospice of Santa Barbara by dining at one of these three establishments on Dia de las Comidas, Friday, July 8th.

Date: Friday, July 8th

Time: 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.

Locations: Santa Barbara: Carlitos Café y Cantina, 1324 State St. (805) 962-7117;

Montecito: Cava Restaurant & Bar, 1212 Coast Village Rd. (805) 969-8500;

Santa Ynez: Dos Carlitos Restaurant & Tequila Bar, 3544 Sagunto St. (805) 688-0033.

Reservations are encouraged, walk-in parties accepted. All meals included.

For more information, please call K.C. Murphy Thompson at Hospice of Santa Barbara at (805) 563-8820 or visit www.hospiceofsb.org.

All services at Hospice of Santa Barbara are free of charge. The non-profit receives no government or insurance reimbursements. For 37 years Hospice of Santa Barbara has been committed to providing care that is not limited by anyone’s age or ability to pay. It is able to do this because people in the community support Hospice of Santa Barbara with donations, grants and bequests.

If you or anyone you know is facing a life-threatening illness or grieving the loss of a loved one, or if you would like to know more about how to support Hospice of Santa Barbara, call 563-8820 or visit www.hospiceofsb.org.