Mission

Pajaro Valley Shelter Services provides families with a path to stable, self-sufficient futures through short- and longer-term housing and supportive services.

The Big Idea

We are a small passionate team dedicated to our mission of providing children and their parents with a path and guidance to stable self-sufficient futures. We employ a three-pillar model: Emotional Stability, Financial Stability, and Housing Stability. Our focus is to strengthen and refine the Emotional Stability pillar programming to allow families the space and time to build resiliency through classes and one-to-one counseling. We use research on ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) and Resilience Theory to inform programming. Individuals use the Brief Resilience Scale as a self-assessment tool upon entering and exiting the program. Overtime, these metrics will demonstrate the program’s effectiveness.

In 2018 Patricia exited an emotionally abusive and co-dependent relationship. Arriving at PVSS, she did not have a job, savings, credit, or a drivers license. She remembers feeling displaced and, to a certain degree, hopeless. However, she participated in the ACEs and Family Strengthening program, resilience building workshops and one-on-one counseling. "I could not have done it without the support of PVSS. One of the most valuable lessons I take with me is that co-dependency is unhealthy. Counseling is beneficial to gain the tools to move forward in family crisis." Patricia and her family exited PVSS successfully into a two-bedroom rental. Our relationship with Patricia has entered a new phase as she recently accepted our invitation to join the Board of Directors representing the participant's voice at the table.

- Patricia Ibarra