New Beginnings Establishes Financial Assistance Fund for Veterans with the Help of the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association
New Beginnings is honored to announce its partnership with the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association, Chapter 33-4 to provide a financial assistance fund to 16 veterans living at Johnson Court. Johnson Court is the first all-veteran housing development in Santa Barbara and is managed by the Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara. Since Johnson Court’s opening in February 2020, New Beginnings has served as the on-site supportive services specialist, ensuring veterans retain their housing and have the resources needed to thrive in their new home. https://sbnbcc.org/
Kristine Schwarz, Executive Director of New Beginnings said, “We are so grateful to receive support from the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association. Their generosity has enabled us to create community and a welcoming environment for the Veterans at Johnson Court, something that has been especially important this last year. Their assistance has helped immeasurably, and we are delighted that they have joined with us in honoring our local Veterans.”
Rhandi LaChonce, Supportive Services Specialist at Johnson Court, “Through their donations, I have been able to improve the quality of life of several of our Veterans. For example, I was able to replace the batteries and wheels for three electronic mobility devices, enabling our Veterans to travel in Santa Barbara without worrying about their devices breaking down. This has made a huge impact in their lives.”
The Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association 33-4 Chapter, which covers the Central Coast, held a fundraiser and provided the initial donation of $2,000 this past winter to launch the fund. They are holding another fundraiser on June 5 in partnership with Good Ride Rally. Since launching the fund, New Beginnings has also used the funds to purchase bedding and various household items, a Christmas feast, and Netflix accounts. Having a funding source to readily tap into has allowed New Beginnings to be more responsive to meeting the needs of their veteran clients.
The Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association is a national association of combat veterans from all branches of the United States Armed Forces who ride motorcycles as a hobby. Their mission is to support and protect those who have defended our country and our freedoms – Veterans Helping Veterans. The 33-4 Chapter represents the Central Coast from Santa Barbara to Monterey.
New Beginnings provides quality, affordable counseling, shelter, case management and education that strengthens our community and provides our clients with the ability to lead healthy and productive lives. New Beginning, located at 324 East Carrillo Street, Suite C, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. For more information, please contact our development department at (805) 963-7777 x112 or email at development@sbnbcc.org.
New Beginnings
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Through January 31st, donors are invited to match the generous $25,000 matching gift from Sandy Schoolfield and Jon Kechejian for the relocation and expansion of our south county office towards our need to raise $250,000 for this effort.
Mission
We provide mental health counseling to low-income community members and end homelessness for individuals, families, and veterans throughout Santa Barbara County. Through four core programs, we serve approximately 2,000 people each year.
www.sbnbcc.org
(805) 963-7777
Executive Director: Kristine Schwarz
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My husband, Jon, and I believe that New Beginnings provides many vital services to the homeless and underserved mentally ill in our community through a host of successful and nationally recognized programs. They could do an even better and more efficient job if they could consolidate their outdated office space that is currently spread out in several locations into one location better designed to support their programs. Jon and I are glad to support this important initiative to help New Beginnings relocate into much needed new office space.”
One Roof
In 2023, New Beginnings plans to centralize its main office and bring three locations under one roof in Santa Barbara. To do that, the nonprofit will need a commercial landlord willing to rent to an agency that works with veterans, the homeless, and people struggling with mental illness, and financial assistance from generous donors totaling $250,000.
Donations are also always needed to cover things government assistance won’t, like appliances, beds, medical assistive devices, renter’s application fees, renter’s insurance, and more. New Beginnings Executive Director Kristine Schwarz’s other major ask is an appeal to landlords and property managers to help serve the unhoused by making units available for them to rent and live in.
“We need landlords and property managers to work with us,” Schwarz says, noting that they have dozens of people housed all over the county who they provide supportive housing retention services for on a daily basis.
New Beginnings reaches out to provide services to members of our community who most need a hand. One of their innovative programs is Safe Parking. My late husband Gary encouraged New Beginnings to write a manual that outlined the details of the program with the intent of sharing it with other cities. That manual and Safe Parking has now gone far beyond Santa Barbara, and is helping hundreds of people. I am pleased to support New Beginnings and all its good works.
Key Supporters
Jacqueline Kurta
President
Dan Engel
Vice President
Ziad Elkurjie
Treasurer
Mark Cardona
Secretary
Steve Baird
Member
Stasia Huiner
Member
Kathryn Keene
Member
Karen Kelly
Member
Diane Pannkuk
Member
Warren B. Ritter II
Member