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Local nonprofit helps people, inspires similar efforts around the country KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESSTom Reed
Unity Shoppe will air its annual telethon on Friday.
This year’s fundraiser will be hosted by Montecito singer Kenny Loggins, who has been hosting the telethon for the past 36 years.
“It has become a community awareness event. We invite people to call in, and we have a phone bank of about six to eight people,” Tom Reed, executive director of Unity Shoppe in Santa Barbara, told the News-Press.
The telethon will be broadcast live from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on KEYT-TV, Channel 3.
Mr. Loggins, the vocalist known for songs such as the theme to “Footloose” and “Danger Zone” from the original “Top Gun” movie, has made the telethon a household name, by bringinging a number of celebrities to the table including actor Rob Lowe. This year, Mr. Loggins will perform along with singers Michael McDonald, Katy Perry and Glen Phillips of Toad the Wet Sprocket.
Ms. Perry’s performance will be a video submission, according to Mary Hudson, Ms. Perry’s mother.
While there is no set goal for the telethon, “we usually have a figure of around a half a million dollars,” Mr. Reed told the News-Press. “The money raised goes toward buying food and covering staff. Fundraising goes to zero on Jan. 1 because the spirit of Christmas is over.
“We are excited to have a $75,000 matching gift, which we want to meet quickly,” Mr. Reed said. “This is in addition to corporate and individual sponsors already lined up.”
The telethon will be co-hosted by Montecito singer Brad Paisley. However, Mr. Paisley will only be nominally hosting the event, due to his living at his Nashville home.
Mr. Paisley is married to TV and movie actress Kimberly Williams-Paisley.
“Brad bought a house in Montecito 10 years ago. He wanted to volunteer with his family in the neighborhood. Mr. Paisley’s Realtor recommended Unity Shoppe,” Mr. Reed said.
“Brad and Kim wanted a place where their kids could get used to helping others,” Mr. Reed said. “He was astounded by what he saw.
“He has played every major city in America. He is always doing research in every city, looking for a way to help Nashville. He ended up opening a grocery store modeled after Unity Shoppe,” Mr. Reed said. “Mr. Paisley’s Nashville store is called ‘The Store.’”The Store is located on the campus of Belmont University, Mr. Paisley’s alma mater. Between 3-8% of college students suffer from food insecurity, according to Mr. Reed.
“Earlier this year, the mayor of San Francisco, London Breed, offered a $5 million grant to open four locations modeled after the Unity Shoppe in San Francisco,” Mr. Reed said. “The grant was awarded to Bayview Hunters Point Community Advocates, one of San Francisco’s biggest nonprofits.”
The first location will be open in early 2023, according to Mr. Reed. “This confirms what we have always said, that the Unity Shoppe is unique. The Unity Shoppe has been around for 105 years. Every city in America needs something like the Unity Shoppe.”
“Primarily we respond to temporary needs,” Mr. Reed explained. “It’s expensive to live in Santa Barbara. If you are a single mom with a couple toddlers and a job or two, the budget is barely covering expenses.
“There are a lot of entry level folks in Santa Barbara. The average published percentage of income for housing is 30%. But in reality, they are spending more like 62% on housing,” Mr. Reed said. “If a family goes through a crisis, any issue tips the budget upside down, and she’s facing a choice between buying food and paying the rent. They get behind on rent, and 120 days later they are out on the street, and that is what we want to prevent.
“We have a full on grocery store including food, soap, diapers, deodorant, wipes, and clothing for adults and toddlers,” Mr. Reed said. “If we can provide these things, it saves them money.
“We don’t want it to feel like a charity,” Mr. Reed said. “We want the kids to be proud of the parents for bringing them to a fun place. We run the barcodes to keep track of inventory. The kids don’t know that the parents aren’t paying.
“We also take care of over 3,000 seniors,” Mr. Reed said. “We have over 100 referring agencies for seniors.
“The problem with seniors is they have fixed incomes, but the cost keeps going up. Extended families should provide what they need, but often they are unavailable. However, the caregivers know what they need,” he said. “The caregivers send us lists of what they need, and our volunteers put those things together. We also have their favorite color and exact size. Each package includes a small stuffed animal, and a bag of chocolate is often the only gift they get at Christmas time.”
Mr. Reed explained what the “Unity” in “Unity Shoppe” stands for.
“Unity is the whole country working together,” he said. “We invited social service agencies to send clients to us for help if they can’t provide what they need. About 25% of those agencies are schools. The agencies include: nonprofits, the Department of Social Services, and churches. We solicit about 600, and we have about 400 signed up with us.
“Unity Shoppe was founded in 1917 by Pearl Chase. She started with three (Christmas-only) committees, which became the Council of Christmas cheer in 1936 and went year round in the ’80s when Kenny Loggins partnered with us and came up with the name (Unity Shoppe). Barbara Tellefson inherited the Unity Shoppe from Pearl Chase.
“It’s a magnificent program that is unique to Santa Barbara, and we should all be proud of and support it,” Mr. Reed said. “We don’t get state or federal funding. It’s unique and quite wonderful and worthy of support. It really is as unique as we have always said. I am excited to know that we are strong and stable, and hopefully we will continue with the next 100 years, but we can only do it with the community’s help.”
Mr. Reed has been with Unity Shoppe for more than 20 years. He is retiring at the end of this year.
“It has been a tremendous run, and I hate to even leave. We are growing and expanding,” Mr. Reed told the News-Press. “We started delivering groceries during the pandemic, with a refrigerated van, and we made it permanent by expanding into North County. It’s an exciting time for Unity.
“My replacement is Angela Miller-Bevan, born and raised in Santa Barbara. She is well experienced in the nonprofit sector, and it has been a very orderly transition. She has been on-site since July.”
email: kzehnder@newspress.com
FYIThe Unity Shoppe telethon will run from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday on KEYT-TV, Channel 3.For more information go to unityshoppe.org.
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