about us

At Petaluma People Services Center (PPSC) our goal is to reduce poverty, physical and mental abuse, chemical dependence, violence, ignorance, isolation and mental illness, among children, adults, families and seniors. PPSC is much more than a collection of 34 human services programs based on best practice research with measurable outcomes. We are a community of caregivers existing within the larger community whose sole purpose is to help make people’s lives better. We strive to do this one child, one adult, and one senior at a time. Last year we served over 7,000 people through our programs. The hands-on, face-to-face support that individuals receive from PPSC is wide ranging; counseling, job placement, gang prevention, daily hot meals, rides to the doctor, case management, financial assistance for homeless prevention, informational and referrals….People Helping People. PPSC has five significant core service areas:

Senior Services – Meals-On-Wheels, Adult Day Care, Case Management, Nutrition Site-Senior Café

Homeless Prevention and Fair Housing

Employment & Training – Adult and Youth

Counseling - Individual, Couples & Family, Drug & Alcohol Prevention, Gang Prevention

Petaluma Paratransit – Door-to-Door for seniors, physically and mentally challenged individuals.

Leadership is provided through a volunteer Board of Directors. Our current members include:

J.T. Wick, President
Don O'Brien, Vice President
Dan Leetz, Treasurer

Gina Benedetti-Petnic
Laura Buhrer
Tina Hittenberger
Katie Kerns
Shelly Moller
Dennis Teutschel
Abbie Walther
Carol York

Sara Malone
Mike Slavich
David King
Elizabeth Bugental
John Cruze
Lynn Imm
Barbara Madick
Thom Knudson
Leroy Lounibos

The old Goree Cleaners building on Petaluma Boulveard North was the original location of PPSC. A small building in the back was used as a teen center. The building was in ramshackle condition and community members rolled up their sleeves and repaired, cleaned and painted the building. The first Board of Directors was composed of Helen Hagopian, Dr. Ronald. L. Harris, Joan Buchholz, Phyllis Neumann, Kate Smith, Harriet Kreig, Gerry Klor, Carole Barlas and Dr. Gabriel Cousens.

The Center became an umbrella for various social services including: social service eligibility, legal aid, public health, immunizations, well baby clinic, and employment services. Volunteer efforts such as a parent-child crisis hot-line, a teen center, and a senior group created resources for the community that were operated through the Center. Not all available services were on site, but coordinated referrals were made possible with the county.

As additional needs became evident and things became more complex, the need for permanent staff was recognized. The direction of the Center began to shift and evolve to what it is today. From its simple beginning, PPSC now has a paid staff of approximately 51 people. Today over a hundred volunteers contribute their time to enable the Center to serve as many people as they do. At present there are over 2000 people benefiting from PPSC's programs in counseling, homeless prevention, employment, transportation and senior services. Over 40,000 phone calls are received each year requesting information and referral.

Over the years PPSC has occupied several sites in Petaluma. One well known site was the grand Victorian at 115 Liberty Street. It was this building that was the basis of the Petaluma People Services Center's logo for a number of years. Looking for a more permanent home, the Center arranged for space in the Human Services Building at 1500 Petaluma Boulevard South. This was the old State Poultry Lab that was sold to the City after it was no longer in service for the state. Extensive remodeling was undertaken and in 1991 PPSC moved to its permanent home on the Boulevard South.

PPSC actually has several locations for its programs. The Senior Dining site was moved from the Methodist Church to a newly constructed addition to the City's Senior Center at Lucchessi Park. Here seniors enjoy each others company and a hearty meal every weekday. The Senior Day program is housed at 25 Howard Street and the Counseling Department has offices at 411 "B" Street.

The emphasis on "People Helping People" is very evident in the figures holding hands in the Center's current logo (which was designed by Board member Lynn Imm). "People Helping People" was what initiated PPSC in 1974 and today it is still the basic force of the Center after almost twenty-five years of service.