Good Samaritan Shelter in Santa Maria is close to capacity post-storm

SANTA MARIA, Calif. -- The Good Samaritan Shelter in Santa Maria has little availability after continuous atmospheric rivers hit the Central Coast.

Many people have been impacted and are seeking help after the Santa Maria River was filled with water.

Transients in the Santa Maria Valley live in the riverbed and their tents and belongings were flooded.

Good Samaritan Executive Director Sylvia Barnard and Director of Operations Kirsten Cahoon said the number of people coming in is increasing but they have few beds available.

This comes at a period when the county’s “point-in-time” survey results found an increase in homelessness in the Santa Maria Valley.

Cahoon said there is a positive side. The rainy weather gives the shelter an opportunity to connect people with services that normally might not be willing to ask for help and build trust with them.

Good Samaritan staff said they can always use more warming donations like blankets, twin sheets, socks, and undergarments to help keep those unsheltered healthy.

“A lot of the folks that have lived in the riverbed or on the streets for a long time and that this weather has really been tough on don't have dry clothes now and don't have dry socks. A lot of those things have been ruined or just soaking wet for so long," said Cahoon.

Staff also said even with little availability they will never turn down a family nor Veterans.

“Every homeless person is somebody, somebody's right or somebody's daughter, cousin or aunt or mother. And so it's just, you know, to really understand that they also need to be reconnected to the services that they need to be able to become the person that they used to be and want to be," said Barnard.

Good Samaritan will open their warming centers today at 6 p.m. and have local transportation.

For more information visit their website at goodsamaritanshelter.org or visit their Santa Maria location at 401 W. Morrison Ave., Santa Maria.

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