Among the people helping to sort, cull, collate, and curate all sleeping bags, socks, jeans, T-shirts, scarves, hats, and implements of human warmth now being donated as part of the Santa Barbara Public Defender’s Office’s fifth annual collection drive for people living on the streets is a woman named Tracy Hobson.
“It’s my favorite time of the year,” Hobson said. “The people are in such great need, and they are so grateful.”
Hobson knows firsthand how Santa Barbara might well be a close approximation to paradise, but for people on the streets, it can be cold, wet, and scary. For many moons, Hobson — now of retirement age — worked as an executive assistant up in Silicon Valley. An abusive relationship, addiction, and depression took their toll and eight and a half years ago, she rolled into Santa Barbara. It was, she said, a choice between Monterey, San Diego or here; God intervened, she explained, and pointed her in the direction of Santa Barbara…