THE FRIENDSHIP FORCE OF SANTA BARBARA

WELCOME TO OUR WEB SITE
BUILDING GLOBAL GOODWILL THROUGH PERSONAL FRIENDSHIPS		PROMOTING PEACE THROUGHOUT THE WORLD
WHAT DO WE DO?
Friendship Force of Santa Barbara (FFSB) has an active membership of about 60 men and women. All members are encouraged to participate in welcoming citizen ambassadors from other countries during Incoming Exchanges (usually once a year). Some people are involved in home hosting, others participate in day hosting and others work on various committees. As many members as are available participate in Outgoing Exchanges. It is also possible to travel with other Friendship Force exchanges. Information about these opportunities is found in the Friendship Force International (FFI) quarterly magazine and on the Friendship Force International web site. A FFSB “Membership Directory and Reference Book” is printed and distributed each January. It contains a brief history of our club, the membership directory, the list of current officers and directors, the year's calendar, the committees and their chair people, the planned exchanges and the bylaws of The Friendship Force of Santa Barbara. A bimonthly news letter is printed and distributed at our program meetings.
WHEN AND WHERE DO WE MEET ?
A Program Meeting is held on the fourth Monday of every other month (beginning in January) at the public library at 500 North Fairview Avenue in Goleta. The meeting begins at 7:00 PM. A planned travel oriented program is the highlight of most evenings. Each program is announced in advance in the Santa Barbara New Press newspaper. Visitors are welcome. Refreshments are served. A Business Meeting is held two weeks prior to each Program Meeting. These are held in the homes of various members. All members are invited to attend and to participate. There are six special events planned throughout the year. They occur every other month beginning in February. Examples of these are the “English High Tea”, “International Night”, and the "Potato Party”. All events are well planned and well attended. A nominal fee is charged.
THE SANTA BARBARA AREA:
Santa Barbara is located in California on the Pacific coast 95 miles north of Los Angeles and 352 miles South of San Francisco. It is nestled between the Santa Ynez mountains and the Pacific ocean and borders the Los Padres National Forest. It enjoys a Mediterranean climate. Rarely does the Winter temperature go down to freezing nor does the summer temperature go above 90° F. The population of the city of Santa Barbara is about 92,000. The population of the immediate surrounding area (Goleta and Carpinteria) is about the same. In 1925 a devastating earthquake leveled much of Santa Barbara. Several enterprising women convinced the city fathers to rebuild along Spanish architectural lines and to decorate with lovely flowers and trees resulting in a beautiful city. Beaches, bike paths, mountain trails, museums, beautiful parks, specialty restaurants and shops give visitors many choices. The Santa Barbara Mission and Court House are widely known city landmarks.