A Santa Barbara County based international relief group which has been providing medicine, and medical supplies to disaster victims, and others in need for more than a half century is breaking ground on a new warehouse and headquarters complex.
It will nearly double the size of Direct Relief International’s outdated facilities. DRI has outgrown its 80,000 square feet of warehouse, and office space in Goleta near Santa Barbara Airport. Thursday, the non-profit is breaking ground on a new 155,000 square foot facility north of Hollister Road near Santa Barbara Airport, on eight acres of land it bought from the city of Santa Barbara.
Thomas Tighe , who’s DRI’s President, and CEO says they’ve raised more than half of the $40 million dollars needed for the project. They’re at $25 million, with a big push now underway for the final $15 million.
Plans call for the new facility to be ready for use in January of 2018.