Youth emergency shelter in Santa Barbara revisited by former residents

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - The youth emergency shelter, Noah’s Anchorage, received visits from previous residents on Wednesday from as long ago as twenty years.

Noah’s has been a part of the Channel Islands YMCA for the last 20 years and is a program of the Youth and Family Services branch of the Y.

Noah’s is an eight-bed residential program and drop-in center. They operate a street outreach program specifically for youth and are the only residential facility for minors in Santa Barbara County.

"Because we serve minors, it is rare that the community is able to tour the home," said Valerie Kissell, Executive Director of Youth and Family Services YMCA. "We had over 100 guests yesterday including funders, public and local elected officials. Past residents and previous employees had the most dramatic reaction to the upgrades and shared many stories and memories of their stay at Noah’s and how it influenced their lives."