

Stop the Bite Before It Starts
Santa Barbara County residents can take these simple steps to protect themselves, their pets, and their neighborhood from mosquitoes by Elizabeth Ann Morabito Did you know that you can single-handedly stop thousands of mosquitoes from […]

Teaming Up Against Tiny Threats
Santa Barbara County’s public health and vector control experts join forces to monitor and prevent the spread of diseases from mosquitoes, ticks, and other vectors by Elizabeth Ann Morabito Mosquitoes and other disease-carrying vectors have […]

Unmasking Local Bloodsuckers
Mosquito species in Santa Barbara County vary by habitat, behavior, and disease risk—knowing the difference can help prevent bites and protect public health by Elizabeth Ann Morabito Did you know Santa Barbara County is home […]

Winning the Fight Against Dangerous Biters
The Mosquito & Vector Management District of Santa Barbara County protects public health by controlling mosquitoes, ticks, and other disease-carrying pests by Elizabeth Ann Morabito In 2020, a Santa Barbara resident noticed something strange—mosquitoes biting […]

Allied Against Poverty
Canal Alliance provides a bridge between communities and local/state disaster resources by Anne Stokes Omar Carrera knows his community. He’s been the CEO of Canal Alliance for more than eight years and has worked in […]

Save Your Breath
El Sol helps communities brace for emergencies, including wildfires and lingering smoke by Anne Stokes Wildfires leave behind more than scarred landscapes and burnt remnants. The resulting smoke, ash and toxic chemicals can travel hundreds […]

Promoting Health and Safety
Visión y Compromiso has built a comprehensive network of health and social service resources by Jason Cassidy In California, underrepresented communities are often left out of the loop of mainstream health and safety efforts. So, […]

Resilience is Important
Veteran 911 dispatcher helms organization that helps the most vulnerable in times of emergency by M.S. Enkoji During her nearly two decades of dispatching 911 calls in Sonoma County, Alma Bowen saw one thing clearly: […]

Mixtec Messaging
Filling the unmet needs of oral languages by Andy Furillo Turn around—don’t drown!” The National Weather Service coined this simple catchphrase as a warning not to cross flooded roads and risk the deadly danger of […]

Fire Watch
Catholic Charities of California is ready to help—before, during and after the next wildfire inevitably strikes by Andy Furillo In a state where some 22 percent of the 33 million acres of forested land has […]

Hotter Than Hot
Comité Cívico del Valle and Universidad Popular tackle rising heat risks head-on by Dorothy Korber “Heat cramps and heat exhaustion can develop in individuals with overexposure to this heat, and without intervention can lead to […]

Compassion and Relief
Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation engages hard-to-reach populations about the importance of emergency preparedness by M.S. Enkoji Sitting in the dark with no power is the wrong time to contemplate what you need to do in […]

Coming Up for Air
LA nonprofit Down But Not Out helps the unhoused find protection and respite from wildfire smoke by Anne Stokes As wildfires rage—and even after containment—the resulting smoke, particulate matter and toxic chemicals create air that’s […]

Lifesaving Lotería
Community Emergency Response Volunteers use Cultural connection to prepare families to weather what’s next by Jason Cassidy When severe storms batter California’s central coast, bringing high winds and further risks of falling trees, flooding, and […]

Neighborhood Heroes
Long Beach’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) trains volunteers to step up when disaster hits by M.S. Enkoji A 6.4 earthquake shook Long Beach in 1933, killing at least 120 people who were mostly crushed […]

Fire on the Frontier
United Way of Northern California builds resilience in California’s most fire-prone regions by Andy Furillo Don’t Wait, Evacuate”—in the far north of California, widespread and deadly wildfires have tragically fused with everyday life. Eight times […]

Keeping it Cool
Los Angeles organization strives to protect seniors, the most susceptible population to extreme heat by Anne Stokes UInlike major earthquakes or sudden tidal waves, severe heat waves are a seasonal fact of life in much […]

Protecting What’s Most Important
State Senator Angelique Ashby shares the importance of having a family preparedness partnership in times of emergency by Dorsey Griffith For 12 years, California State Sen. Angelique Ashby represented an area in Sacramento with a […]