Dear friends,

With Thanksgiving now behind us and the holiday season in full swing, it’s an exciting time for many of us to be thinking about all the wonderful memories we’ll be making with our close friends and family members. 

This isn't the case for everyone. Unfortunately, the holiday season can be extremely difficult and painful for those who feel an empty and aching space in their hearts for a loved one who has passed away and won’t be a part of this year's annual holiday traditions. Though grief is a normal part of life, it can be especially difficult to cope with loss during one of the most joyous times of the year.

Hospice of Santa Barbara encourages our community to look for ways, if possible, to embrace the season as a time for healing. There is no right or wrong answer to managing your grief—particularly at this time of year. Please click here to learn ways to help manage grief, for yourself or a loved one, during this time of year.

It is in the spirit of shared loss and healing that we began our Light Up A Life ceremony. It allows all of us a way to integrate our loved ones into the holiday through these sacred events and experience that loss and love with others who are experiencing the same thing. We cordially invite you to celebrate and honor the lives of your loved ones at Hospice of Santa Barbara’s 40th annual Light Up A Life ceremonies.

The four ceremonies, which will be held in Santa Barbara, Carpinteria, Goleta and Montecito will feature special speakers and guests, entertainment, and the lighting of a memorial tree. Click here for dates and times. We look forward to seeing you at one or more of our Light Up A Life ceremonies this year.

Be well,

David Selberg

Please join us for our 40th Annual

Light Up A Life Ceremonies

We are honored to host our 40th annual Light Up A Life ceremony! Each year, Hospice of Santa Barbara brings the communities of Santa Barbara, Montecito, Carpinteria and Goleta together for a ceremony of light, love, remembrance and unity. For more information including dates and times, please visit www.hospiceofsb.org/lual

Your Broken Heart

Adapted by Nicole McKay

Don’t leave your broken heart at the door.

Bring it to the altar of life.

Don’t leave your anger behind;

It has high standards

And the world needs vision.

Bring them with you,

And your joy

And your passion.

Bring your loving,

And your courage

And your conviction.

Bring your need for healing.

And your power to heal.

There is work to do

And you have all that you need to do it

Right here in this community.

Volunteer Spotlight:

Mike Champion

Mike grew up in Orange (where his parents still live in the same house!). He moved to Santa Barbara in 1988 and has been here ever since. Mike is in the employee benefit/health insurance business. When asked about how he became interested in volunteering for HSB, Mike shared that as well as being alongside his father-in-law when he died, shortly after, he travelled up to Stockton to visit a re-acquainted elementary school friend who was dying in a Medi-Cal facility. Driving home, Mike was contemplating opportunities to volunteer and realized that his early experiences with delivering pharmaceuticals to convalescent and psychiatric facilities, working in a hospital ER and training as a firefighter helped prepare him for the dynamic challenges and circumstances of illness and dying. Mike contacted HSB once home and luckily for us, we were about to have our next Volunteer Training Program, which he joined in May 2015.

Mike is blessed by deep and meaningful connections with all the patients he has had the pleasure to know. He is purposeful and passionate about people, particularly people who are struggling. He considers it a privilege to be invited into their lives and an honor to be part of their journey. Two of his long serving patients have suffered with ALS which brings a particular vulnerability, and sensitivity is needed to serve the whole family. Mike feels sure that he gets more out of serving our patients than they get from him!

Mike is a Trustee on the SB Foundation Board which puts him in a unique position to be a voice for HSB, bringing his insight into the compassionate and loving support HSB provides in our community.

As far as hobbies go, Mike enjoys hiking with his wife Lisa, mountain biking, motorcycling and paddleboarding. He and Lisa have two children and are expecting their first grandchild in December. A little-known fact about Mike is that he keeps bees and somehow finds the time to sculpt rocks.

Welcome to the HSB team,

Kelsey Resetco!

Kelsey Resetco, ACSW, is a Bereavement Counselor at Hospice of Santa Barbara. Kelsey is passionate about helping clients navigate grief with self-compassion. She believes in the strength of the human spirit and supports clients using active listening, mindfulness, and compassion. Kelsey creates space to allow individuals to navigate their grief journey with care and understanding. Kelsey is a Registered Associate Clinical Social Worker, with an MSW from Boise State University. Kelsey has diverse clinical experience, including work with terminally ill adults, at-risk youth, and low-income families. Kelsey’s work at the Ridley-Tree Cancer Center providing counseling to individuals and families impacted by life-threatening and chronic illness, grief, and loss ignited her passion of wanting to provide support during this vulnerable time. In her spare time, she loves to spend time with family and friends, read fantasy novels, play board games, and explore nature.

HSB is happy to have Kelsey on the team!

Get It Done SB! and Mi Regalo are HSB’s Advance Care Planning (ACP) programs, focused on bringing awareness and education in English and Spanish to ensure that all of our community members have a completed Advance Directive before they need one. 

Schedule a one-on-one appointment with one of our trained facilitators to get your Advance Directive done! Call or email for more information. 

Join our growing team of volunteer facilitators and help our community ‘Get it Done’! We are looking for enthusiastic and compassionate individuals to help us facilitate workshops and/or one-on-one appointments with community members interested in Advance Care Planning. A three day training will take place in Spring 2024, join us!  

For more information on Advance Care Planning, upcoming workshops or to request one-on-one help from our experienced volunteers, visit Get It Done SB! or Mi Regalo. You can also call us at 805-563-8820 or email us at CommunityACP@hospiceofsb.org.