The St. Cecilia Society has no listing in the phone book and everything they do is under the radar and very anonymous. There’s only one annual tea, and you must be invited. It’s mostly women. But it’s the oldest charity in Santa Barbara, dating back to 1891, dedicated to magically paying hospital bills for those in dire circumstances, without the recipient’s awareness that even a dialogue has happened. And the job of investigating whom the recipients should be is a quiet, genteel affair that takes place between knowing hospital administrators, social workers, and the St. Cecilia board. The name notwithstanding, this is an entirely secular charity, funding diagnostic testing, emergency room treatment, medications, mental health care, ambulance fees, dental care, hearing aids, wheelchairs and other devices in addition to hospital stays.

One case investigator had a direct experience as a recipient 20 years prior to becoming a board member, when one of her children was born with numerous birth defects including a cleft palette. At the time she and her husband were low wage earners, and when they tried to work out a payment schedule upon leaving St. Francis hospital they learned the bill had been paid. There was no way to write a thank you letter, since recipients are generally not told who or what has taken care of their problem, though in her case she did find out. A couple of decades later came an invitation for tea, and the woman eagerly signed on and has been on the board since. St. Cecilia’s mission is to expend funds, not to be in the banking business. So all is spent. There’s no endowment, though there have been a few bequests. Bills are negotiated and discounts obtained.  It’s a question of personally contacting institutions and providers and asking personally for assistance. No emails, no form letters. All very old school, all very personal, and all quite fairy godmotherish.