(800) 655-0617 ext. 0
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Volunteers passing donated canned food into boxes
About CommUnify

Empowering people.
Transforming lives.

A nonprofit health and human services organization working in partnership with the community — serving Santa Barbara County since 1967.

✓ Serving since 1967
✓ North & South County
✓ 300+ staff · 13 programs
→ today.

Nearly 60 years serving Santa Barbara County — Carpinteria to Santa Maria.

300+
Staff
13
Programs
4
Service Divisions
Who We Are

For thousands of community members, CommUnify is the difference between uncertainty and stability.

CommUnify is a nonprofit health and human services organization working in partnership with the community to find sustainable solutions that help Santa Barbara County residents improve and maintain their health, resilience, and financial security.

We are one of the few organizations in Santa Barbara County with a true countywide footprint. We bring opportunity to the geographic areas that are too often overlooked and yet have the greatest needs.

A family embracing outdoors — a young girl on her mother's back, laughing together
What Guides Us

Mission, vision & values.

From the 2026–2029 Strategic Plan, informed by our community, staff, partners, and Board of Directors.

Our Mission

We serve Santa Barbara County’s vulnerable through education and coordinated services that support stability, foster opportunity, and enable all to thrive.

Strategic Plan, p.5
Our Vision

Empowering Sustainable Independence.

A future where every community member has what they need to stand on their own — and stay there.

Strategic Plan, p.5
A close-up of a smiling young boy in a red shirt
Children’s Services
Our Values

These values guide how we lead, serve, and expand opportunity — shaping a culture of compassion, accountability, and collaboration.

Whether in behavioral health, children’s services, family services, or community support, these values shape every interaction and decision, inspiring a team that shows up with purpose, compassion, and accountability.

Together, these shared attitudes create a workplace culture that strengthens collaboration, fuels meaningful outcomes, and supports the life-changing impact CommUnify delivers to the communities we serve.

Service
Showing up for our neighbors with consistency, dignity, and care.
Advocacy
Standing with the community to address the barriers that hold people back.
Belonging
Building a culture where every person is welcomed, seen, and supported.
Working Alongside You

CommUnify is the partner that makes the path clear.

We don’t work alone — and neither do you. For decades, CommUnify has worked alongside clients, community members, government agencies, school systems, community-based organizations, and private sector partners to make sure the support that exists in Santa Barbara County actually reaches the people who need it.

Our role in this community isn’t one thing:

Parents and young children seated together in a circle at a community group session
Working Alongside You
01

Direct Provider

Programs and services delivered by our own staff, in the communities where they live.

02

Connector

Linking people to the right resource — whether it's ours or a trusted partner's.

03

Stabilizer

Meeting urgent needs so families can find their footing and look ahead.

04

Access Point

A trusted front door to Santa Barbara County's full web of support.

05

Foundation Builder

Early education and skills that set people up to thrive over a lifetime.

06

Advocate

Bringing the community’s voice to the tables where decisions get made.

Who We Partner With
Clients and families seeking services Community-based organizations (CBOs) Government agencies and school systems Private sector and donor partners
Our History

Nearly 60 years of showing up — and still here.

Born from a community commitment to address the causes and conditions of poverty — and still rooted in the same commitment we started with.

CommUnify in 1964
1964

Formed as a 15-member Community Action Committee under President Lyndon B. Johnson’s War on Poverty, appointed by the County Board of Supervisors to address the causes and conditions of poverty.

A Head Start preschool classroom with children and teachers
Head Start · since 1967

Formerly the Community Action Commission of Santa Barbara County, CommUnify has gradually expanded to meet the community’s evolving needs — carrying a trusted, nearly 60-year legacy into a name that reflects who we are today.

Where We’re Headed

Our 2026–2029 Strategic Plan.

We are pleased to present the CommUnify Strategic Plan — a focused roadmap that strengthens our mission, sharpens our identity, and positions us to meet the evolving needs of Santa Barbara County’s most vulnerable residents. This plan builds on CommUnify’s long-standing strengths: trusted relationships, culturally responsive services, and deep community commitment.

01

Promote the Mission and Public Identity

A clear, consistent identity that strengthens trust and recognition across the community.

02

Sustaining Our Mission

Financial resilience that ensures stability and responsiveness to changing community needs.

03

Talent Development and Empowerment

Investing in the people who deliver our services.

04

Trauma-Informed and Relevant Services

Services that remove barriers, strengthen outcomes, and reflect the community we serve.

05

Cross-Sector Partnerships and Community Collaboration

Collaborative leadership that advances solutions no single organization can achieve alone.

Read the full Strategic Plan

The complete 2026–2029 plan, goals, and measures.

View Plan (PDF) →
Governance

A board built on a tripartite structure.

A balance of three sectors that keeps us accountable to the whole community.

One-Third
Low-Income Sector
Representatives of the communities we serve
One-Third
Elected Officials
Public sector leaders
One-Third
Private & Business
Private sector and business representatives
Board Leadership
JK
James Kyriaco
Chair
OG
Oscar Gutierrez
Co-Chair
JB
Jeremy Ball
Secretary / Treasurer
Miguel Avila
Miguel Avila
Realtor; Founder, SB Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Private Sector
Jeremy Ball
Jeremy Ball
Lompoc City Council · Secretary/Treasurer
Public Sector
Gloria Flores
Gloria Flores
Santa Maria City Council
Public Sector
Oscar Gutierrez
Oscar Gutierrez
Santa Barbara City Council · Co-Chair
Public Sector
James Kyriaco
James Kyriaco
Chair
Public Sector
Roy Lee
Roy Lee
Carpinteria City Council
Public Sector
AM
Areli Miguel
Head Start Policy Council
Low-Income Sector
Angela Miller-Bevan
Angela Miller-Bevan
Executive Director / CEO, Unity Shoppe
Low-Income Sector
Marina Owen
Marina Owen
CEO, CenCal Health
Low-Income Sector
Alexander Saunders
Alexander Saunders
Saunders Law Office
Private Sector
Josephine Torres
Josephine Torres
Community Representative
Low-Income Sector
Hilda Zacarias
Hilda Zacarias
CPA
Private Sector
Our Leadership Team

The people who lead the work.

PK
Patricia Keelean
Chief Executive Officer
pkeelean@CommUnifySB.org
GC
Grant Carmichael
Chief Financial Officer
gcarmichael@CommUnifySB.org
ML
Monica Logan
Chief Operating Officer
mlogan@CommUnifySB.org
JW
Julie Weiner
Chief Development Officer
jweiner@CommUnifySB.org
SD
Steven DeLira
Family & Youth Services Director
sdelira@CommUnifySB.org
NA
Nuvia Almanza
Behavioral Health Services Director
nalmanza@CommUnifySB.org
KL
Kemba Lawrence
Community Services Director
klawrence@CommUnifySB.org
JM
Jennifer Macdonald
Children's Services Director
jmacdonald@CommUnifySB.org
MM
Monica Moreno
Human Resources Director
mmoreno@CommUnifySB.org
Where to Find Us

Serving the entire county.

CommUnify serves Santa Barbara County through three regional offices.

South County Regional Office

Santa Barbara · Carpinteria
602 Anacapa Street, 2nd Floor
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
(805) 964-8857 · (800) 655-0617
Get Directions →

Mid-County Regional Office

Lompoc
CommUnify Connection Center
200 N. H Street
Lompoc, CA 93436
(805) 400-2070
Get Directions →

North County Regional Office

Santa Maria
Chapel Center
201 W. Chapel St.
Santa Maria, CA 93458
Get Directions →
Santa Barbara County Locations countywide See all locations →
Looking for Head Start?

Head Start centers are listed on our Children’s Services page. Find a location near you.

See Head Start Locations →
A young woman smiling in a workshop, with peers working at a table behind her

However you found us, there’s a place for you here.

Access our Services

Take the free Universal Pre-Screening to find out what you qualify for — about 10 minutes.

Take the Pre-Screening →
Donate or Volunteer

Fund programs, sponsor events, or lend your time and skills. Every gift and every hour moves the work forward.

Ways to Give →
Partner With Us

Are you a CBO, agency, school, or business? Let’s make sure support reaches the people who need it. Email us at communify@communifysb.org.

Email Us →
Join Our Team

Our staff live where they serve. See open positions across all four divisions and every corner of the county.

See Careers →
Support the Work

Every gift keeps the work going.

Free Information & Referral

Can’t find the right service or resource?

Call or text 211 to connect with someone who can help you find resources and programs that fit your needs in Santa Barbara County.

Free & Confidential 24 / 7 Availability 150+ Languages No Eligibility Requirement Operated by CommUnify