Get Involved
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Transition House
425 E. Cota St.
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
Phone: (805) 966-9668
Volunteering at Transition House gives you the chance to meet new friends, give back to the community, and make a difference in the lives of Santa Barbara families in need. We will do our best to help match you with a position that best suits your interests, skills and availability.
Volunteer Opportunities
Volunteer in the shelter:
Evening Shelter Facilitator – Volunteers assist at the shelter with evening operations, facilitate the preparation of the dining rooms for dinner service, and provide support to Volunteer Meal Providers and Shelter Operations Staff. This position is one evening a week from 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm. View more details.
Shelter Client Screener – Bilingual (Spanish/English) volunteers assist in case management by meeting with residents at our emergency shelter to communicate important messages and simply lend a friendly compassionate ear.
Duties/Requirements: Training in confidentiality, boundaries, note-taking, file management, and a minimum six-month commitment. (Currently Filled Opportunity)
Hours: One evening a week from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Meal Provider Program – Groups of volunteers provide dinner for the families in the emergency shelter. Meal Providers plan the menu, purchase the ingredients, prepare the food, and serve dinner. Providers should be prepared to serve 55-65 people, including both adults and children. Meal Provider groups usually consist of 3-6 members. This position is recurring monthly or bi-monthly from 4:30 pm to 7:00 pm. View more details.
Open Days: 1st Saturday of Odd Months, 2nd Friday of Even Months, 3rd Saturday of Even Months
Volunteer with kids:
Children’s Evening Enrichment– Volunteers work alongside our Children’s Program staff to create a fun and enriching evening program for our child residents. Activities include homework help/tutoring, reading books, creative projects, and outdoor activities. The children range from 4 years old to teens.
Hours: One evening per week from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Family Support Center Childcare – Work directly with children engaging them in games, activities, and art projects while their parents attend anti-poverty education classes at our Family Support Center. The children’s ages range from infants to teenagers.
Hours: One evening a week from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Administrative and Fundraising Volunteer Support:
Administrative Volunteer Assistance – Help staff with a variety of office duties such as making reminder calls to meal providers, organizing files, stapling/scanning/shredding, or other administrative projects.
Client Support – Volunteers with special skills, training, experience, or licensing meet with clients individually or in a small group to assist with difficult tasks, encourage skill development, or promote the mental and physical well-being of our clients.
*Volunteers provide any required materials for clients; i.e. yarn, art supplies, books, etc. Examples: yoga, meditation, resume review, mock job interviews, translation, tech skills, filling out forms and applications, nutrition education, art, book club, knitting, etc.
Evening Class Leader – Volunteers with special skills, training, experience, or licensing lead a small educational class or support group in our Family Support Center to encourage skill-development or promote mental and physical wellbeing of Transition House clients. Volunteers provide all required materials for participants.
Examples: Yoga, meditation, art, tech-skills, dance, nutrition, book club, knitting.
For more information about Volunteer Opportunities, please contact Development & Volunteer Relations Manager, Kellie Topar at or 805-966-9668 ext. 128 to learn how you can make a difference.