Cycling with Sally

Walking through the beautiful streets of Santa Barbara (in shorts it was so warm!) we found ourselves in front of the Salvation Army Hospitality House where we met Mick who was preparing for our first job - trimming the front hedge.  It was a lovely looking hedge, however it was being used as a bed for some members of the community and so something needed to be done to deter this behaviour.  We don't know if you could say we did a pretty job but we did meet the objective of the task!  After that we prepared 200 packed lunches ready for the next day.  It was interesting learning about his facility as when you typically think of Santa Barbara you can't imagine this affluent town needing Salvation Army services.  Unfortunately, this a misconception many make.  Not only is Santa Barbara a perfect place for Homeless people to make their 'home' because of the warmer climate but just because you're 'well off' doesn't mean you're immune to difficult times or struggling with addiction of some form.  The Hopsitality House is a transitional unit for individuals who have completed a rehabilitation/detox program and need assistance 'transitioning' back into their community successfully.  It's all about preparing them in a holistic way so they  have coping strategies to face difficult times, in the hope they don't revert back to harmful behaviours and also have the opportunity to lead a successful and fulfilling life.  Thank you to Jack Clithroe and his dedicated team of staff and volunteers for helping us volunteer on a Saturday!