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 In 1983, as a result of a growing homeless population in the Santa Barbara community, various groups began coming together to form what is now Transition House. Representatives from the social services community including Catholic Charities, Rescue Mission, Salvation Army, CRIS, People’s Coalition, and Afro-American Community Services formed an Emergency Services Group that met at the Eastside Library. They realized that there were no dedicated beds for homeless women and children in Santa Barbara. The problem was overwhelming and needed the support of the community. They began to petition various resources in town, looking for someone to fill the gap. On St. Patrick’s Day in 1984, Alice Gillaroo of Catholic Charities met with John Dally and the Vestry Committee of Trinity Episcopal Church regarding the critical need. Members of Santa Barbara’s faith-based communities also noticed the growing need for homeless services in Santa Barbara. Reverend Robert Challinor, Rector of Trinity Episcopal at that time, explains, “I was bombarded every day by people wanting a place to stay—even on our porch.” Trinity Episcopal stepped up to the challenge along with Reverend Bob Pryor of First Presbyterian, Tony Perino of the Unitarian Society, and representatives from First United Methodist. Soon after this meeting, a total of 12 faith-based communities formed the Inter-Religious Taskforce on Homelessness. Out of this union grew Transition House.
On March 1, 1985, Trinity Episcopal Church was the first to open its doors. First United Methodist and First Presbyterian were the second and third shelter locations, providing food, shelter and volunteers to staff the program. The response was overwhelming: 177 people came to find shelter during the first month of operation. After two years of moving from one church to the next on a month-to-month basis, Transition House finally found dedicated space. The Quonset Hut at 210 Ortega Street officially opened to guests on April 1, 1985 with 35 beds. Volunteer proctors took turns staffing the shelter overnight, braving the cold, and drinking coffee to stay awake. Peg Gard, volunteer proctor stated, “There were not enough beds and we took turns sleeping. And, hopefully, someone would get the bed warm for you.” Although the shelter residents had to bear with public sleeping quarters, cold drafts, and overcrowding, they at least knew they would have a roof over their heads, three meals a day, and a warm, friendly smile to come home to. Initial funding for renting the Quonset Hut was provided by the Housing Foundation of Santa Barbara and an anonymous donor. Soon, remodeling began with Ken Kruger as architect. Bathrooms, a few individual rooms, an office, and a room for used clothing were built into the structure. The Inter-Religious Taskforce changed its name to Transition House. Non-profit status was achieved and Transition House hired its first Executive Director, Alice Gillaroo Hasler.
Storyteller also had its beginnings in the Quonset Hut before moving to its own space at First Congregational Church, where it continues to provide high quality care for homeless toddlers and preschool-aged children. While the Quonset Hut was serving the homeless population downtown, a smaller shelter operated in Isla Vista out of a two-bedroom mobile home purchased by St. Michael’s Episcopal and relocated to the church’s property. Operating two shelters at different ends of town proved to be a strain on Transition House’s available resources, and the Isla Vista shelter closed.
Transition House recognized that families needed more time than the shelter could provide to save money for the first and last month’s rent and deposit needed to move into housing. In 1989, with lots of neighborhood support and a fair amount of neighborhood resistance, Transition House opened its second-stage, transitional housing facility on upper De La Vina Street. Rob Pearson of the Santa Barbara City Housing Authority helped acquire the building for Transition House’s use. The program, eventually named Firehouse in tribute to the building’s prior purpose, housed five families at a time. Each family paid up to 1/3 of their monthly income in rent and participated in case management while achieving the goals they set that would enable them to return to housing. --continue to part 2--
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