Fun in the Sun Returns With Help From Assistance League® of Santa Barbara

Assistance League of Santa Barbara volunteers packed colorful drawstring backpacks filled with shirts, shorts, skorts, water bottles, hygiene kits and dental kits. | Credit: Courtesy

More than 300 local students have been outfitted for a summer of learning and fun with the help of Assistance League of Santa Barbara in partnership with United Way’s Fun in the Sun Program (FITS).

Assistance League contributed $15,000 towards this year’s literacy program. In addition, shorts, T-shirts, skorts, water bottles, as well as hygiene and dental kits were placed in colorful drawstring backpacks by Assistance League volunteers and distributed through Franklin, Harding, Hollister (Santa Barbara), Solvang (Solvang), Canalino (Carpinteria), and Mary Buren (Guadalupe) elementary schools throughout Santa Barbara County.

Children from second through fifth grades are nominated to participate in the six-week summer program based on academic and financial criteria. The program addresses summer learning loss through hands-on, project-based lessons, utilizing the best services and ideas from local public and private organizations. Assistance League of Santa Barbara has partnered with United Way since 1999.

Along with its auxiliaries, Las Aletas and Assisteens, the Assistance League of Santa Barbara’s 350 members volunteer over 50,000 hours a year to improve the lives of residents in our community. The Assistance League Thrift Shop, located at 1259 Veronica Springs Road, is the major source of funding for these programs. www.assistanceleaguesb.org