Get Involved
© Copyright 2025 Transition House. All rights reserved.
Transition House
425 E. Cota St.
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
Phone: (805) 966-9668
Get Involved
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.
There are a variety of volunteer opportunities and Transition House’s volunteer coordinator will help match you with a position that best suits your interests, skills and availability.
Meal Provider Program – Groups of volunteers provide dinner for the families in the emergency shelter. This volunteer opportunity involves menu planning, grocery shopping, cooking, and serving the meal.
Hours: Recurring and fill-in schedule available, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Evening Shelter Facilitator – Volunteers assist at the shelter with evening operations, facilitate the preparation of the dining room for dinner service, and provide support to Volunteer Dinner Providers and Shelter Operations Staff.
Hours: One evening a week from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
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.
Hours: One evening a week from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
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 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 Rissa Gross, our Volunteer Coordinator at (805) 966-9668 ext. 129 or by email to learn how you can make a difference.
For more information about Volunteer Opportunities, please contact Volunteer Coordinator, Rissa Gross at or (805) 966-9668 ext. 129 to learn how you can make a difference.