Our Mission: To care for anyone experiencing the impact 
of a life-threatening illness or grieving the death of a loved one.
T hose who are experiencing the impact of a life threatening illness did not choose the disease they are dealing with.  Those who come because they have lost a loved one did not want to have that loss.  But the illnesses and losses come.  They put each person and family on a path they had not conceived of before, and it feels unreal, lonely and disorienting.
 
But these people find our door.  We help each one understand where they are, what might be ahead and how we can be with them.  Over time, a new path emerges.  This is a path that does not avoid the reality of what is happening.  But it does bring light where before there was only darkness... companionship where before there was only lonliness.

Anne Pazier finds the door to healing
In September of 2008, Anne Pazier had tragically given birth to her stillborn baby girl, Brooke.
 
"It was devastating," recalled Anne, who at the time was already mother to her then 4-year-old son, Aiden.  Anne said she often kept quiet about her loss-feeling guilty for talking about it as if her grief and heartache would somehow be contagious.
 
When a friend suggested that she look into Hospice of Santa Barbara's services, Anne's first thought was that the local nonprofit was only for people who were in the process of death. But Anne and her husband were soon signed up for a group workshop with other couples who had experienced similar losses. While it wasn't a "club" she would have wanted to be a part of, Anne soon found how helpful it was to speak with others who had gone through similar situations.
 
Anne was also surprised by how open her husband was during these group meetings, and it's where she really discovered what he was going through.   Hospice of Santa Barbara was also able to assist her with individual counseling and other soothing therapies, all free of charge.

Anne was scared when she later became pregnant with her daughter Cadence, who is now 5, but with the help and counseling from Hospice of Santa Barbara, she said the fear didn't paralyze her.
 
"I don't know that I would be able to be the sort of mother that I am today to our daughter Cadance if I hadn't had that opportunity to really heal," said Anne, who sees Brooke as the family's "Little Angel."  
 
Hospice of Santa Barbara opens the door to healing to anyone in our community grieving the death of a loved one.
LifeChronicles partners with Hospice of Santa Barbara, Visiting Nurse & Hospice Care to Film Patients' Stories  

Local nonprofit LifeChronicles has partnered with Hospice of Santa Barbara and Visiting Nurse & Hospice Care to provide staff and volunteers at the two hospice organizations with training in filming the life stories of their patients.

LifeChronicles and its own volunteers have been bringing their unique skills to families in crisis by giving them a way to preserve the memories of terminally ill and elderly loved ones on film, all free of charge. Patients can narrate their life stories and film special messages to leave behind for loved ones. The films capture everything from the sound of their laughter to the twinkle in their eye.

"These recordings are amazing gifts patients can leave behind for everyone who has been a part of their life and even a way to share stories with generations to come," said HSB CEO David Selberg. "We can't thank LifeChronicles enough for sharing their expertise so we can bring this to clients free of charge."

Hospice of Santa Barbara will bring this new video documentary service to its clients in 2016.  

LifeChronicles Founder Kate Carter said, "We at LifeChronicles are excited to be collaborating with these two fine agencies in Santa Barbara so they can offer those they serve a priceless gift...a way to bring peace of mind to a person facing end of life, knowing they will bring comfort to those they leave behind, and most of all, they will be remembered!"

Mentors Graduated
We completed the training of four new I Have a Friend® mentors recently. A mentor is a volunteer with a desire to serve a bereaved child when it matters most - during childhood. Our mentors were also bereaved children at one time, experiencing all the suffering and confusion the death of a parent or sibling brings. 

Mentors are motivated by the memory of their own unmet needs by adult caregivers who poorly understood the child's emotional life or were overwhelmed by their own grief. Children in these situations are often left to cope with devastating tragedy in the isolation of their own emotional resources.

Mentors model resiliency and serve as a beacon toward "feeling normal again".
Upcoming Events
Now through January 29th
"Given to the Light"
Solo exhibition by  Susan Savage -  Leigh Block Gallery at  Hospice of Santa Barbara
4:00 - 6:00 pm
Community Five Wishes Workshop
The Alliance for Living and Dying Well offers free community workshops to facilitate end-of-life discussion and assistance in completing advanced health care directives.  Workshops are offered the third Thursday of each month at HSB. 
To register, please call 805-845-5314.
 
Ongoing Support Groups
Thank you for all that you do to support our work! 
It is a remarkable privilege to witness the difference we make for those we serve on a daily basis. It is only through your generosity that we can accomplish all that we do and will do in the future.

Donate Now
Hospice of
Santa Barbara is Pleased to Announce Two New Support Groups
 
Young Adults Grieving Support Group
Wednesday evenings, January 6th - January 27th
For people ages 19 to 30 coping with the loss of a loved one.  This group will provide a safe and supportive environment for your adults to express grief.
 
Masculinity, Spirituality and Grief
Saturday mornings, April 17th - May 22nd
Men - do we really grieve and suffer differently?  A time to listen to our stories.  This is a men's only group.
Small Effort....Big Difference
Just a small effort on your part can make a big difference to our mission.
 
When you name Hospice of Santa Barbara in your estate plans, you will make a tremendous impact on those we serve.
 
For more information on how you can start making a big difference today, please call 805-563-8820 or visit our website.
Contact Us
Hospice of Santa Barbara
2050 Alameda Padre Serra
Ste. 100
Santa Barbara, CA 93103

Phone: (805) 563-8820
Fax: (805) 563-8821

Email: info@hospiceofsb.org

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