The United Way of Santa Barbara County on Tuesday reported the completion of another holiday gift drive that fulfilled the wishes of hundreds of local students.

Now in its fifth year, the gift drive celebrated a record-breaking service year in 2024, supporting over 300 students from Carpinteria to Guadalupe, according to the United Way.

Each year, United Way invites its school district and service agency partners to identify and refer participants to the gift drive program, with families submitting a customized wish list of wants and needs for the holidays. Parents and caregivers share wish lists with United Way's Community Impact team, which connects each list to volunteers who purchase a selection of gifts based on the child's interests and needs.

"It has been a true pleasure to collaborate with our school district partners and local volunteers for the Holiday Gift Drive this year," said Allegra Rouss, United Way's community impact program manager.

Hundreds of community members participated in the drive, with teams from local businesses as well as individual donors connected to a record number of wish lists. Volunteers delivered over 1,400 gifts to the United Way office, which were prepared for participating families to collect ahead of the holidays to share with their children.

To learn more about the gift drive or to get involved in supporting United Way's academic achievement initiative, please visit www.unitedwaysb.org.