Peoples' Self-Help Housing

The Mission of Peoples' Self-Help Housing is to provide affordable housing and programs leading to self-sufficiency for low-income families, seniors, and other special needs groups on California's Central Coast.

From our "family" to yours, Happy New Year! We hope you enjoy this January issue of E-News!

Peoples' Self-Help Housing E-Newsletter

PSHH Goleta Resident Named Teen of the Year
YEEP Students from Los Adobes de Maria meet Congresswoman Lois Capps
Hundreds of Peoples' Children Receive Gifts thru Stuff the Bus
PSHH and TDG Staff News
Upcoming Events

PSHH Goleta Resident Named Teen of the Year

Sandra Iraheta

San Marcos High senior Sandra Iraheta shares a strong bond and passion for communty service with her mother, Mireya Rojas, a Site Manager at our Isla Vista Apartments in Goleta.

The Rotary Club of Goleta Noontime selected Sandra as the 2008 Teen Of the Year. The award ceremony recognized eight 2008 finalists of the 33-year-old community service award program.

Out of a record 78 nominees, 32 students completed the rigorous program that required involvement with community organiztions and non-profit groups, while maintaining a minimum 2.75 grade-point average.

Sandra, a 17-year-old with a 4.0 GPA, hopes to attend Stanford or UC Berkeley and become an OB/GYN. She spent six months in a study abroad program in Italy. where she became fluent in Italian. She volunteers at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital and at Junior Wheelchair Sports Camp at UCSB. For fun she works on cars, and is taking two auto mechanics classes at SBCC.

"I was raised by a single mother and I am determined to prove to her how grateful I am ," she said. "I am living proof that anything is possible if you put your mind to it, no matter what your background is. I was born with almost nothing, but now I am going to be somebody. Nothing can take this away from me."

She also was awarded a substantial scholarship, thanks to a record $11,300 in scholarships the program will distribute. 

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YEEP Students from Los Adobes de Maria meet Congresswoman Lois Capps

Students: Mayra Sanchez, Alba Sanchez, Mabel Medina, Alejandra Estrada, Andrea Novoa

Los Adobes de Maria YEEP students attended the 2nd Annual YELL ( Youth Educated Latino Leaders) Conference at Allan Hancock College. The students spent the day listening to Latino leaders and attending workshops.

Lois Capps was happy to see so many students from PSHH Los Adobes de Maria development in Santa Maria.

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Hundreds of Peoples' Children Receive Gifts thru Stuff the Bus

Santa Claus made his way down State Street, December 17, to collect hundreds of unwrapped gifts for children from low-income families living at Peoples' Self-Help Housing's affordable housing properties in Santa Barbara and Goleta. Santa's decorated MTD bus traveled down State Street, picking up the toys at collection points along the way. Santa's entourage included sponsors, elected officials, community leaders, and PSHH staff. The bus stopped and collected toy boxes at Community West Bank, Starbuck's at Victoria Street, Barnes & Noble Booksellers, and Hotel Santa Barbara. At the Barnes & Noble bus stop, 829 State Street, several children on Santa's bus selected books in the children's section for their gifts.

Toy box collection sites included all ten Starbuck's locations from Carpinteria to Goleta, Antioch University, Arlington Theatre, Barnes & Noble, Chilango's, Community West Bank, Deckers Outdoor Corp, Fess Parker's Doubletree, Fresco Café at Five Points, Hotel Santa Barbara, LF Stores, Milk & Honey, MTD, Museum of Natural History, Oliver & Espig Jewelers, Peoples' Self-Help Housing, Public Library, SB Police Department, Saks Fifth Avenue, Starbucks and Ty Warner Sea Center.

Santa disembarked at Peoples' Self-Help Housing Ladera complex at 322 Ladera Street where refreshments were shared with S.B County Supervisors Janet Wolf and Salud Carbajal, Council members Helene Schneider and Das Williams, other dignitaries, and 40 volunteers who wrapped the toys and gift cards.

"Peoples' Self-Help Housing's Stuff the Bus campaign collects and distributes holiday gifts for 600 low-income kids. For many of these children, this is the only gift that they receive at this time of year," stated PSHH Executive Director Jeanette Duncan. Sponsors included Ads on the Wall, Barnes & Noble, Community West Bank, Efren Fajardo Painting, Metropolitan Transit District, B. Ray Gateley, Nu Image Signs & Graphics, Peikert Group Architects, Rabobank, Santa Barbara Bank & Trust and Starbuck's Coffee Company.

View more Stuff the Bus photos. 

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PSHH and TDG Staff News

Ken Trigueiro has been promoted to Director of Housing Development-Rental Trigueiro holds a bachelor's degree in agricultural business management from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. He also earned an M.B.A. in finance and banking at Golden Gate University in San Francisco.

Trigueiro worked in the banking and financial markets for over 12 years with Franklin Bank & Trust Company, Franklin Templeton Mutual Funds, and Bank of America. He also served as C.F.O. for six years with Cilker Orchards, a Silicon Valley- headquartered company with diversified commercial, residential and agricultural real estate holdings. He joined PSHH in 2005.

Ken's volunteer activities include leading church groups and international non-profit groups, such as Potter's House, to work on housing and mission development projects in Guatemala, Mexico, Venezuela and Zambia. He currently serves on the boards of Harvest Family Development and the Home Builders Association of the Central Coast. He lives in with his family in Atascadero.

Congratulations to Liz Smith, Compliance Specialist for our Property Management Division, for her committment in the community. For 13 weeks, she has attended Vision Unida's Community Building Institute at Cuesta College every Tuesday night. She is the first PSH/TDG employee to participate in the Institute.

Visión Unida is a non-profit organization dedicated to facilitating the leadership development of the diverse population of California's Central Coast. Building strong and diverse networks within our communities and providing local residents with necessary leadership skills will further enhance the diversity and effectiveness of our leaders and the growth and strength of our communities.  

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