Supported by title sponsor, Next|Health Montecito, the United Luncheon: Blue in Bloom returns on April 30, 2025, to support United Way of Santa Barbara County’s programming for children ages 0-5 and their families.
Santa Barbara, CA, April 22, 2025 – The upcoming luncheon, Blue in Bloom, is put on by the Women United affinity group, which has relaunched in 2025 in Santa Barbara County. The membership provides a space for women across the community in philanthropy, business, and community impact who gather in support of early learning and childcare programming through United Way. Local members also have access to the global network through United Way Worldwide, connecting women across the world through local impact.
The 2025 United Luncheon, themed Blue in Bloom, is a tribute to the seeds planted by the organization’s network to grow a vibrant and resilient next generation. Proceeds from the luncheon will support United Way’s offerings for children aged 0-5 and their families throughout each of its core initiatives. These programs include the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, Bridge the Break, the Brighter Futures Childcare Initiative, and Fun in the Sun, which work together to ensure that local children and families have access to the support they need to thrive.
The luncheon’s keynote speakers include Dr. Melissa Drake, a board-certified obstetrician/gynecologist in Santa Barbara with a strong belief in personal attention, trauma-informed practice, and a strong direct relationship with her patients in order to build trust and encourage patients to cultivate their own power. Dr. Drake’s professional interests include the history of medicine, patient autonomy, healing physician burnout, and improving safety through addressing system deficiencies and will address the importance of a strong start for women and children to build a sustainable foundation for future success.
The program will also feature Diana Rigby, Superintendent at Carpinteria Unified School District, where the entire suite of United Way’s Academic Achievement programs have been implemented for the current school year. Diana F. Rigby has served the students and families of Carpinteria as the Superintendent of Carpinteria Unified School District for the last 8 years. Born and raised in Boston, she attended Northwestern University & the University of Massachusetts and later went on to receive her master’s degree in Speech and Hearing Sciences at UCSB, with additional coursework in special education and school administration at California Lutheran.
Results from recent assessments conducted by United Way and community partners like First 5 Santa Barbara County demonstrate a significant need in Santa Barbara County for increased efforts to support caregivers, providers, and employers involved in the local childcare sector. For a family of four with two children in licensed programs, local families have been shown to spend over 30%+ of their annual income on childcare costs each year, over double the nationally recommended average. Availability is also a concern, with a 2023 report demonstrating that a deficit of over 1,800 spaces for infants and toddlers exists in the Santa Barbara-Goleta region alone. (Chesley, 2023)
United Way’s Brighter Futures Childcare Initiative now houses the Brighter Futures Childcare Scholarship program, helping local caregivers bring down their annual childcare costs to the recommended amount of 15% with direct scholarships to their licensed childcare providers. The initiative is also generating grants to local employers looking to build or expand facilities, incentives, and other employee benefits in childcare, and provides assistance to local childcare centers, such as the UCSB Orfalea Center, to expand their infant and toddler spaces.
Other programs supported by the luncheon include the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, providing free books to children in Santa Barbara County ages 0-5, Bridge the Break, a free Spring and Winter break program for local families, and Fun in the Sun, which expanded in 2024 to serve children as young as four years old for the first time in the program’s history.
For questions about Women United, the United Luncheon, or United Way, please contact United Way at 805-882-0505 or visit www.unitedwaysb.org.
2025 United Luncheon Sponsors:
BLOOM SPONOSR (TITLE)
Next|Health Montecito
BLUEBELL SPONSOR
City National Bank
Santa Barbara Historical Museum
IRIS SPONSORS
American Riviera Bank
Berfu Butler
Kogevinas Luxury Properties Group
PERIWINKLE SPONSORS
Melissa Henderson
Casie Kilgore
Mr. G. Paul Didier CFP, MBA
Erin Moy
Team Solutions Group
The Weiser Agency
WitMark Group
Underwriters:
Lisa Behringer, Splash Interiors
Truman Davies
About United Way of Santa Barbara County
Since 1923, United Way of Santa Barbara County has been a key leader in local efforts to empower children, families, and communities through its own unique collaborative programs and initiatives, partnership convening efforts, volunteer development, and funding. United Way’s mission is to enrich the lives of children and families and build resilient communities by leading local programs and partnerships that improve school readiness and academic achievement, financial empowerment, and crisis response and recovery. To learn more, please visit unitedwaysb.org.
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