Service

Storyteller Serves Community's Children, Offers Volunteer Opportunities to Honors Students

by Jenny Edwards

Over 14 percent of families living in Santa Barbara County live at or below the poverty level. Many of these families include small children. These homeless and at-risk children statistically perform worse in school, have higher drop-out rates and higher crime rates, and are much more likely to raise their own children in poverty than their more fortunate peers.

In 1988 a group of concerned women in Santa Barbara got together to address the large population of homeless and at-risk children within our community and formed Storyteller Children's Center. Since then, Storyteller has remained the only tuition-free childcare and educational center in the county. Storyteller currently provides care for forty-two children ages eighteen months to six years. Storyteller is a model child-development center committed to the educational, social, and emotional development of homeless children, and to creating a nurturing environment where children can stay while their parents actively work towards self-sufficiency. The tragedy is that there are as many children on Storyteller's waiting list as there are children currently being served.

I became involved with Storyteller this past summer as an intern. At that time Storyteller was beginning to implement a database that could track past and present donors in order to help record donations. After a few months' work as an intern, I was offered the title of development coordinator and am now responsible for updating and maintaining the database as well as raising more money for the deserving children of Storyteller.

We wouldn't be able to do all the wonderful things we do for the children if it wasn't for the help of the Santa Barbara community. I encourage you to fulfill your honors service requirement by volunteering at Storyteller. The big winter quarter fundraising event at Storyteller is the KLITE Radio-a-thon. For the past few Valentine's Days, Catherine and Gary, the morning hosts on KLITE 101.7, have graciously helped us raise money by allowing callers to request a song and make a donation. We need help all day on Valentine's Day. Volunteers will each work a three-hour shift, answering the phones and recording the donation information.

If you are interested in helping out, please contact me, Jenny Edwards, at 682-9585, or e-mail me at jenny@storytellercenter.org. I am more than happy to answer any questions you might have.

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If you can't volunteer but want to contribute, call KLITE at 879- 5483 on Valentine's Day, make a donation, and hear one of your favorite tunes.
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Jenny Edwards is a member of the College Honors Program and the development coordinator for Storyteller. She will graduate in June 2005 with a B.A. in women's studies and sociology.

These local organizations need your help:

The Arroyo Hondo Preserve on the Gaviota Coast needs volunteers for habitat restoration the first Sunday of the month and trail maintenance the third Saturday of the month. No experience or equipment necessary. Jane Murray: 684-4405.

Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network needs volunteers to help with seabird care. Young pelicans have arrived, and help is needed to feed them and other seabirds and to wash down the pond area. June Taylor: 967-1028

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