C arpe Di e m
Volunteering: It’s in his DNA By K a t h l e e n r eDDi n gt on “Ever since I can remember there’ve been stories told around the family table about Carpinteria politics and how important it is to serve and help people,” says Dale Olivas, whose call to community service came as a child when he walked Linden Avenue downtown with his Uncle Olly. “I liked being a kid with him. He was on the first Carpinteria City Council.” Longtime Carpinterians may remember Olly Olivas as the Carpinteria Herald photographer who took all the photos for the 30th Anniversary issue published in 1960. An ever-ready champion in times of disaster Dale has earned numerous local hero accolades. He currently serves on the Carpinteria Tree Board, is a Certified CERT member and trainer, and received a 2017 City of Carpinteria Volunteer Merit Award from the Chamber of Commerce. Congressman Salud Carbajal, State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson, and State Representative Monique Limon honored him for his outstanding and invaluable service to the community. His numerous national, state and local certifications, commendations, thousands of hours of course work, and qualifications complement his years of training in disaster management, crisis intervention, and emergency services. Dale was recently hired as a Mental Wellness Center outreach worker for California HOPE 805 (Helping Outreach Possibilities Empowerment) to promote mental wellness and inform the community of services available in emergency situations and when disasters strike. “It’s the first time I’ve been paid for what I love to do, help people in times of crisis. It’s a great job,” he notes. Dale thinks his uncle’s death in 2014 may have made him more civic-minded. It’s also getting older and feeling his deep attachment to the community. A self-described “fifth-generation Carpinterian through and through,” he is considering running for office in the future. “Mostly, I am committed to Carpinteria whether through volunteering or public service. Everything I’ve done is because I love this town. It’s my home,” he adds. When Disaster struCK Dale olivas volunteered tirelessly during the thomas Fire and the following mudslides and debris flows. mid-morning on Dec. 6, with the air smelly brown, thick with soot and ash, the city emergency services coordinator asked him to pick up 3mn95 masks from Direct relief international and distribute them at Casitas plaza. “When i arrived, 200 people were waiting. We gave 36,000 breathing masks in eight days,” says olivas. he recruited volunteers on the spot. “they showed up, stood for long hours distributing masks, so their friends and neighbors could breathe. they gave a damn. i saw Carpinteria strong. it touched my heart,” he says with big tears forming in his dark eyes. he helped with traffic control, until authorities arrived, after the southbound on-ramp at Bailard was re-opened, creating a traffic mess and a dangerous situation, and the day before the slides he was called to fill sandbags and give them out at city hall. “i don’t know how many we filled but it felt like a thousand at the end of the day,” he joked. 42 CARPINTERIAMAGAZINE.com
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