Alpha Resource Center of Santa Barbara

Alpha Resource Center of Santa Barbara exists to empower people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to make their mark on the world. Its programs bring ability to the fore, support families, create opportunities and foster belonging, from a campus on Cathedral Oaks Road that has been Alpha's home since 1966. The organization serves the Santa Barbara community from Carpinteria to Goleta and is a member of The Arc California and The Arc of the United States.

Alpha began with three mothers who wanted an education for their children. Starting in 1950 they hired college students to teach their kids, and in 1953 the Santa Barbara schools established a class. Alpha took its name in 1956 from a grandmother, Vera Howie, who opened a school for children who did not yet qualify for those classes, and chose "Alpha" because it means beginning. Services have since grown to support people from birth through the end of life, and Alpha has moved from a mostly campus-based program to one rooted in the community.

Lifespan Support Services is often the first call. From the moment a child is born or diagnosed, the Family Resource Center connects parents with others who have been there, including support for families facing a prenatal diagnosis or risk of developmental delay. Staff help families navigate the regional center, special education and other systems, make confidential referrals and provide advocacy so people receive the services and benefits they are entitled to.

Adult Day Services supports adults 22 and older through the CatOaks Day Program and Slingshot / Alpha Art Studio. Participants help design services around their own goals and spend their days volunteering at places like the Santa Barbara Zoo, Meals on Wheels and the Botanic Garden, working on landscape, food service and janitorial crews, swimming and dancing in community classes, and performing in the theater troupe or the band Rockability. Slingshot is both an open studio and a public gallery, where more than 30 artists with developmental disabilities create and sell drawings, paintings, sculpture and textiles.

Employment Services helps people discover their strengths, prepare for work and find meaningful paid jobs alongside coworkers without disabilities. Job coaches provide one-to-one support that tapers as a person gains independence, or group support in a small crew, and they work with employers through recruitment, placement and inclusion training. For youth and adults who want friends and fun, Katie's FUNd offers Teen Extreme for ages 13 to 18 and EXPO for adults 18 and over, with outings in the community that build independence and self-advocacy.

The Alpha Thrift Stores, long a Santa Barbara fixture, support these programs, and signature events include the Plane Pull, where teams of 10 to 25 pull an Alaska Airlines 737 20 feet, and the Harvest of Hope Gala. To ask about services, call (805) 683-2145 or use the contact form on the website. Supporters can donate, sponsor an event, shop or donate goods at the thrift stores, or plan a legacy gift.