Santa Barbara Public Market Partners with Fire Foundation To Deliver Fire Relief Aid

The Santa Barbara Public Market partnered with the Santa Barbara South Coast Firefighter Foundation to collect essential items from the local community for donation to those affected by the recent L.A. fires via the week-long  L.A. Fire Relief In-Kind Donation Drive.

January 20 concluded a week full of donations and community support, including garnering 4,000 pounds of clothing, 2,500 pounds of bedding and blankets, 50 boxes of diapers, 300 pairs of shoes, 200 pounds of non-perishable food, and other vital supplies.

The collected items were delivered on January 19 to the Pasadena Community Job Center for redistribution to affected families and individuals.

“This tremendous outpouring of support from the Santa Barbara community demonstrates our region’s commitment to helping our neighbors in need,” said Silas Fallstich, Social Media Manager at Santa Barbara Public Market.

The donation drive represents one of the largest community-led relief efforts coming out of the Santa Barbara region in response to the recent Los Angeles fires, highlighting the sheer power of local businesses and organizations to band together and enact real change.

“This initiative truly embodies what we mean when we say ‘people helping people,’” Brian Lombardi, President of Santa Barbara South Coast Firefighter Foundation, shared his reaction to the community response.

This initial delivery was successful, but the community response has overwhelmingly continued past the drive’s official end date. There are currently 4,000 pounds of donated goods that arrived at the drive after the delivery was made to Pasadena.

As of January 20, all donation sites throughout the Los Angeles area have reached full capacity and are no longer accepting used clothing or used blanket donations. Community members are still encouraged to contribute in any way that they see fit, just keeping this in mind.

This drive could not have been made possible without the successful partnership of two local businesses. The Santa Barbara Public Market, a popular culinary destination, and Santa Barbara South Coast Firefighter Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides financial and emotional support to firefighters and their families in times of crisis.

“The partnership with the Santa Barbara South Coast Firefighter Foundation was instrumental in making this drive a massive success,” said Fallstitch. 

The Santa Barbara community has the ability to make real change in the world, as shown by partnerships between local businesses and aiding fire relief efforts.