Unity Shoppe Annual Holiday Telethon on TV

Unity Shoppe is excited to announce its Annual Holiday Telethon, happening on Friday, December 12th, 2025, from 5:00p.m. – 8:00 p.m. The event will be broadcast live on KEYT, Channel 3-12 and will feature special celebrity appearances by Kenny Loggins, Michael McDonald, Jeff Bridges, Brad Paisley, Rob Lowe, Lois Mahalia, & many more! On the night of, call (805)-845-5555 to make a donation!

Some of the highlighted sponsors of the Annual Telethon include American Riviera Bank, Anderson Systems, CalPrivate, Chevron, Community West Bank, Consumer Fire Products, Montecito Bank & Trust, SoCal Gas, UCLA Health, and many more. Their generous support helps ensure that Unity Shoppe’s essential programs continue to serve families, children, seniors, and individuals throughout Santa Barbara County.

Unity Shoppe’s Client Services Center, located at 1401 Chapala Street, serves as the central hub for our programs, including our free grocery store and Unity Delivers. It is a crucial resource for families, children, seniors, and individuals in need, all referred by one of more than 400 partner agencies. Here, clients can shop in a store-like environment for groceries that support a healthy diet, household necessities, personal care items, and clothing. Funds raised from the Telethon will be vital in supporting the Client Services Center and other essential programs, ensuring that fresh, healthy, and non-perishable foods are purchased for Santa Barbara County residents.

During the winter holidays, thousands of children and their families visit Unity Shoppe’s Holiday Store to select their favorite toys and gifts, creating a joyful and memorable season for all. This experience is made possible through our long-standing partnership with the Marines and their Toys for Tots drive, where generous community members come together to donate brand new toys that fill the shelves of our Holiday Store. In addition, supportive companies such as Deckers and Carbon2Cobalt contribute new shoes and clothing, helping ensure that children and families have access to warm, high-quality essentials during the holiday season.

In 2024, Unity Shoppe distributed $3,833,664 worth of food and groceries, including 840,985 pounds of fresh food. Volunteers contributed 14,824 hours to support the organization’s programs. A total of 47,824 people were assisted, including 16,507 children, 22,760 adults, and 8,557 seniors, with 1,403 home deliveries provided. Through generous toy drives such as Season of Hope and Toys for Tots, 17,724 holiday gifts were given out, and a total of 20,724 gifts were distributed to children and seniors.

In October 2024, Unity Shoppe opened a Lompoc satellite location, which now serves over 300 families per month. This satellite free store provides food, essentials, clothing, and shoes to households in need, offering a welcoming place for Northern Santa Barbara County residents to access vital support. As the number of

people seeking assistance continues to grow, the location has expanded its operations and now welcomes the community on Wednesdays and Thursdays. For detailed hours of operation, visit unityshoppe.org.

In total, Unity Shoppe houses eight essential programs that serve the Santa Barbara community year-round. These include the Client Services Center, the Unity Delivers program, Job Smart, the Back to School Shoppe, the Volunteer Program, the Senior Resource Center, the Holiday Toy & Gift Shoppe, and the Transitional Assistance Program (TAP). Together, these programs provide critical services such as groceries, clothing, school supplies, job training, volunteer opportunities, senior support, and holiday gifts for families in need.

Funds raised through the Telethon directly support all eight programs, ensuring they continue to meet the needs of Santa Barbara County residents.

“The Annual Unity Shoppe Telethon is more than just one night of giving; it fuels our mission for the entire year. Every dollar raised helps us provide groceries, clothing, and essential services to thousands of families, seniors, and children across Santa Barbara County. Together, we are ensuring dignity, respect, and choice for our neighbors in need all year long.”
— Angela Miller-Bevan, Executive Director/CEO, Unity Shoppe

This heartwarming community event showcases the spirit of giving and the transformative impact of Unity Shoppe’s services on thousands of lives every day. By empowering families with Dignity, Respect, and Choice, Unity Shoppe provides a unique lifeline to those in need.

About Unity Shoppe:

Unity Shoppe is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide residents of Santa Barbara County who are facing temporary conditions of poverty, natural disasters, or health crises with resources like groceries, clothing, and other essentials, all while reinforcing human dignity and encouraging self-sufficiency and independence.

For more information about the Annual Telethon, Unity Shoppe’s programs, our regional outreach efforts, or to get involved, please contact Angela Miller-Bevan at 805-965-4122 or angela@unityshoppe.org.