Where Logistics Meets Compassion

During the holiday season, the Materiel & Logistics team, part of Distribution and Logistical Services and led by Brad Gray, demonstrated how operational efficiency and teamwork can make a profound impact outside their day-to-day work in Residential Operations. Brad, known as the go-to person for all things storage and logistics for HDAE and beyond, spearheaded a remarkable effort to give back to the community, ensuring that supplies, donations, and holiday cheer reached those in need.

Materiel & Logistics serves as the centralized hub for procurement, inventory, warehouse management, and distribution across Residential Operations. By streamlining procurement processes and maintaining consistent supply chain management, the team ensures that essential resources are efficiently allocated across multiple warehouses within the HDAE portfolio. While their primary focus is on campus operations, their recent charitable initiatives showcased their dedication to serving the broader community.

Over the holiday break, Brad and his team—Antoine Dunson, Mario Gonzalez, Mario Almanza, Belen Rosas, and Eliseo Hernandez—orchestrated a series of meaningful donations that brought comfort and relief to people and animals in need:

• Bringing Holiday Joy to Children – Working with the entire campus community, the team helped sponsor over 100 children through the Isla Vista Youth Projects (IVYP) and UCSB Angels. Their efforts culminated in delivering a truckload of presents before the holiday break, ensuring that children and families had gifts to celebrate the season.
• Providing Warmth to Animal Shelters – Recognizing the needs of local shelters, the team donated and delivered nearly 400 blankets to Santa Barbara County Animal Shelter locations in Goleta, Lompoc, and Santa Maria, ensuring that animals awaiting adoption had warmth and comfort during the colder months.
• Supporting the Homeless Community – Understanding the challenges faced by those without housing, the team extended their generosity by donating approximately 500 blankets to Lompoc Bridge House, a homeless shelter providing critical resources and assistance.
• Helping Those in Crisis – The team further amplified their impact by donating nearly 1,000 blankets to the Rescue Mission serving the Oxnard/Ventura area, helping individuals facing hardship stay warm.
• Responding to Emergencies – In a remarkable show of rapid response, the team coordinated the donation of 2,400 blankets to Los Angeles County for evacuees displaced by ongoing wildfires. These essential supplies were scheduled for pick-up on Friday, January 10, ensuring immediate relief for those affected by the crisis.

Their ability to leverage resources, coordinate distribution, and respond swiftly to community needs exemplifies the power of logistical expertise used for a greater purpose. By fostering strong partnerships across campus and the broader region, their work highlights the intersection of operational efficiency and community outreach. Brad’s team has set an inspiring example—one that shows how, even in the busiest times of the year, there is always room to give back.

Photo from Brad Gray of a puppy with one of the blanket donations to an animal shelter.