Santa Barbara rescue mission Fourth of July burgers
The Santa Barbara Rescue Mission will hold its 11th annual Fourth of July barbecue dinner for homeless guests.
The Rescue Mission’s parking lot, 535 E. Yanonali St., will be transformed this independence day for homeless guests to celebrate the holiday from 1 to 3:30 p.m. The mission is preparing to serve backyard barbecue-style meals to more than 300 homeless men, women and children, according to a Friday news release from Rescue Mission.
The event will include live music and raffles. The men in the mission’s 12-month Residential Recovery Program will be present to cook, lend a helping hand, and celebrate with guests.
Guests who attend can learn more about the services the Mission offers.
“The beaches get so crowded that our homeless neighbors who often spend their days and nights on the sand are pushed off the shoreline and left with nowhere to go. So 11 years ago, we decided we’d create a place for them to spend the holiday,” said Rescue Mission President Rolf Geyling.
The Santa Barbara Rescue Mission is the only local agency providing overnight summer shelter to the homeless along with other emergency services and recovery programs, according to the news release.
“Every year, the Rescue Mission provides over 140,000 meals and more than 45,000 safe nights of shelter for individuals with no place else to turn,” said Rescue Mission spokeswoman Rebecca M. Weber.
Established in 1965, the Santa Barbara Rescue Mission brings physical, emotional, educational and spiritual resources to those in need, without government funding. It is the only organization between Oxnard and Santa Maria that provides hot meals and accommodations to homeless guests 365 days of the year.
The Mission offers men’s and women’s 12-month residential recovery, family support, relapse prevention, men’s sober living, academic instruction and job-skills training. Its residential drug and alcohol program has won regional and national recognition.
