Resident Stories
Barbara
Barbara came to live at Hillside in 1955 making her the resident who has lived with us the longest; she has seen a lot happen in those 71 years! Currently she will tell you that she is retired and does not want to attend a full-time day program or participate in too many group classes.
Barbara enjoys going to church, music, news programs, talking about the past with staff or her cousin who is very active in her life. She likes situations where she can feel helpful. She seems to hear and know everything that is happening at Hillside and is usually a good reporter for news that happened overnight or on the weekend!
Roque
Roque moved to Hillside with his brother, Noel, in January 2025! Roque is very intelligent and speaks three languages: English, Spanish, and ASL. He attends the Bridges program at Santa Barbara High School where he works on prevocational skills.
In his free time Roque enjoys art and hanging out with his friends and brother. He has a great sense of humor and is often joking around and being playful. He loves the color pink and Hello Kitty.
Emily
Emily moved to Hillside in 2008 when her small group home closed; her family wanted her to remain in Santa Barbara so that they could continue to visit regularly.
She is very quiet and sweet and is learning to make choices and communicate by using an adaptive switch. Her roommate loves watching out for her, alerts staff to Emily’s wants and needs, and makes sure she is included in activities.
She enjoys being around others and will make eye contact, smile, and sometimes extend her hand toward others she is familiar with. She also really enjoys getting out of her chair onto a beanbag in the sensory room with calming music and visual stimulation of the color wheel and bubble tube.
Jeff
Jeff moved to Hillside in 1989. For someone who has no verbal speech Jeff has a great sense of humor. He thinks it is hilarious to drop something and watch staff pick it up, really cracks him up!
He participates in group activities, communicates and makes choices by using an adaptive switch. He especially appreciates walks outside and being pushed fast in his wheelchair (w/c races). His favorite activity is tetherball, which he is really good at. He enjoys attending his day program, attention from staff and his family, and laughing and joking around with everyone!
Mark
Mark came to live at Hillside in 1978; he was originally from Ventura County.
He is a quiet man who communicates using gestures and pointing. He is retired from the County of Santa Barbara Education Department where he worked for 20 years shredding papers and preparing interoffice communication envelopes. He is very independent and can often be found sitting in the sun in the backyard. He does also like art classes and attends them regularly.
Mark loves a treat; a cookie or candy will get you a friend for life! He is very close to his family and enjoys visits from his brothers and sister.
