by Michael H. Imwalle
Volunteers picking fruit in the Whittaker orchard at the rear of the Canedo Adobe. Photo by Mike Imwalle.
On September 15, 2012 the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation participated in the 21st Annual United Way Day of Caring. Throughout the County more than 1,500 volunteers participated as individuals, families, and workplace teams to help over 50 charitable organizations in our County. The event is the biggest single-day volunteer event in the tri-counties. The Day of Caring is held across the nation in September and October to support agencies that would otherwise not be able to complete projects due to financial or staffing shortages. Families are encouraged to participate to teach young people the importance of community service.
This year SBTHP was blessed with a multitude of volunteers representing RightScale, Rye’s Scents, Kiwanis Club of Santa Barbara, the Santa Barbara School of Squash, and the Towbes Stars. More than 50 volunteers were split into teams to work on 5 projects at El Presidio de Santa Barbara SHP. Executive Director Jerry Jackman supervised a group of young volunteers picking fruit in the Whittaker orchard. Bags of oranges, lemons, and tangerines were picked and distributed amongst the volunteers. Surplus fruit will be donated.
Volunteers making adobe bricks on the parade ground of the Presidio. Photo by Sally Fouhse.
SBTHP Board Member Rich Rojas supervised fellow Kiwanis Club members while cleaning up the back entrance to the Northwest Corner. Rich’s crew re-wrapped and covered pallets of adobe bricks to prepare them for winter storage. SBTHP Board Member and Presidio descendent Tim Aguilar supervised a large crew of enthusiastic adobe brick makers. The adobe crew churned out more than 160 adobe bricks that will go toward the completion of the Northwest Corner Defense Wall.
Volunteers whitewashing the Padre’s Quarters of the Presidio. Photo by Michael Imwalle.
SBTHP Maintenance Supervisor Eduardo Garcia served as the master whitewasher. After days of prepping the site for the event, Ed had an army of whitewashers coating the Canedo adobe, Padre’s Quarters, Bell tower, Comandancia, and El Cuartel. Anne Petersen, SBTHP’s Associate Director for Historical Resources managed volunteers in the Presidio Heritage Gardens. The garden crew hauled in two cubic yards of compost, weeded, pruned, and turned over the soil in preparation of our fall/winter planting. A special station was set up for kids to participate in a wheat grinding station where the young volunteers learned to thresh, winnow, and grind wheat into flour.
Volunteers preparing the Northeast Corner Presidio Heritage Garden for Fall planting. Photo by Anne Petersen.
Thank you to SBTHP Associate Director for Business Affairs Sally Fouhse, SBTHP Associate Director for Development Kendra Rhodes, Harrison Rhodes, and the SBTHP weekend staff for all your help and a special thanks to the United Way Day of Caring staff and all their dedicated volunteers for another successful work day at El Presidio de Santa Barbara SHP.
To see more photos from the 2012 Day of Caring at El Presidio SHP, check out our Flickr Page!
Mike Imwalle is SBTHP’s archaeologist and 2012 United Way Day of Caring volunteer coordinator
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