Sleeping Bag Drive for those Experiencing Homelessness
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(SANTA BARBARA, Calif.) – More than 2,100 people are experiencing homelessness in Santa Barbara County. To help these individuals and families stay warm this winter, the Santa Barbara County Public Defender’s Office is accepting gently used donations of sleeping bags, gloves, jackets, shoes, hygiene products, thermal underwear, scarves, and backpacks. New socks and underwear are also welcomed.
Donations are being accepted during regular business hours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at Public Defender’s offices throughout the county. The Santa Barbara office is located at, 1100 Anacapa Street. The Santa Maria office is located at 312-P East Cook Street, Building A. The Lompoc office is located at 115 Civic Center Plaza. Physical donations may be made through 5 p.m. on Monday, December 2nd. Financial donations will also be accepted, for the purchase of new sleeping bags and undergarments, and are tax-deductible through the Public Defender’s partnership with the Northern Santa Barbara County United Way. Financial donations can be made through the United Way-AmeriCorps online donation portal United Way – AmeriCorps Donation Link. When making your contribution, please add “Sleeping Bag Drive” in the comments section to ensure your gift directly supports this initiative. Your tax-deductible donation will help provide warmth to those in need. Donations of items will not be accepted at the Northern Santa Barbara United Way office.
In order to receive donated goods, those experiencing homelessness will need to attend a distribution event. Santa Barbara’s distribution event will be held on Wednesday, December 4th from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. or until supplies last outside the Santa Barbara Courthouse. Santa Maria and Lompoc distribution events will be held on Friday, December 6th from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. at Santa Maria and Lompoc Public Defender’s offices. Homeless outreach teams and community partners are currently working to inform clients of the donations that will be made available to them at the event. For more information, contact the County Public Defender’s office; in Santa Barbara, call (805) 568-3470; in Santa Maria, call (805) 346-7500; in Lompoc, call (805) 737-7770.
For more information about the County of Santa Barbara government organization, go to www.countyofsb.org.