Neighborhood IMPACT
We seek better outcomes for those on the margins, going neighborhood by neighborhood, as we ourselves are changed along the way.
KCI’s TRIANGLE APPROACH
Hear from KCI's Santa Barbara Regional Catalyst, Jeff Shaffer, as he talks about one of the strategic approaches we take to our community engagement.
Seeking Better Outcomes.
Neighborhood by neighborhood. transformed along the way.
KCI SB accomplishes our vision by bringing together neighborhood champions, the local church, and Gen Z to collectively participate in the restoration of people experiencing homelessness and/or being bought and sold for profit. We train, support, and grow alongside every person who engages with us in this work.
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College students and young people are often passionate about justice issues and making a local impact, but often struggle to find avenues to explore and express these passions in ways that move beyond simple volunteerism and into leadership. This is Gen Z: the next generation of leaders empowered to take ownership of their involvement in the city.
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People hard at work in their local community or neighborhood often operate in siloes – the demands of the work are heavy and providing direct care, advocacy, or services leaves little room for collaboration with outside agencies. We would call these neighborhood champions: agencies and individuals committed to seeing the flourishing of their neighborhoods.
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Jesus followers — those who find themselves in a church setting and those who don’t — can find themselves limited to one-time service opportunities when many crave a regular rhythm of community engagement. Churches, with their many priorities, often struggle to sustain local engagement. More broadly, KCI would call this group the local church: encompassing all those who would demonstrate following Jesus.
Projects and Partnerships
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Westmont College
KCI has partnered with Westmont College to support student community engagement in the city of Santa Barbara in numerous ways. These include student relationship-building with those experiencing homelessness in SB, supporting student interns, and more — putting our commitment to Gen Z into action.
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Santa Barbara Mission Conference
KCI has partnered with the SB Mission Conference to support the conference’s mission to engage participants in their local communities. We did this through workshop facilitation, inclusion of key community partners, and conference follow-up.
