About

OUR STORY

A PLACE OF HOPE

Gabriel’s House is a program of The Kingdom Center. The Kingdom Center began in March 2010 at a former hotel in Ventura, California. Under the leadership of Pastor Sam Gallucci, a group of compassionate citizens came together to house homeless families. What once had been a place of hopelessness was redeemed for the glory of God.

Witnessing the positive impact of this ministry effort, the City of Oxnard invited The Kingdom Center to partner with them at a property that had previously served as a drug rehabilitation facility.

In the fall of 2011, Gabriel’s House was launched in a large ranch house on a beautiful 2.5-acre farm once owned by a prominent Ventura County agricultural family.

Since then, we’ve served hundreds of women and children at Gabriel’s House. Dozens of families have been reunited. Many of our residents have successfully begun, returned to or finished their education and professional training. Virtually all the women at Gabriel’s House have successfully found employment. A great majority have left Gabriel’s House having successfully re-entered society with gainful employment and housing for both themselves and their children.

This is why we call Gabriel’s House … A place of HOPE.

Mission

To end the cycle of homelessness by encouraging, equipping, and empowering the women and children who live at Gabriel’s House.

Vision

To inspire and unite communities to work together, bringing Christ-centered hope to women and children at risk of homelessness.

Gabriel’s House began when an Oxnard city council member saw the love, acceptance, and provision extended to the homeless through The Kingdom Center Ventura. After a phone call to TKC Founder and CEO Sam Gallucci, the City of Oxnard invited The Kingdom Center to open a shelter for women and their children at the unique location where we now operate Gabriel’s House.

Please watch our 10th Anniversary video to get a sense of who we are and what we have been called to do in partnership with generous individuals and churches in Ventura County.

OUR HISTORY

A PLACE OF HOPE

Years

Women and Children Helped

Supporters

Leadership Team

Samuel GallucciFounder & CEO

Since 2005, Samuel and his wife, Toni, have devoted their lives to ministry. As an author, he wrote Road Warrior: How to Keep Your Faith, Relationships, and Integrity When Away from Home (Random House). Leaving a successful career in business, Samuel initially joined the staff at Calvary Community Church in Westlake Village. Soon after, he felt God’s call to minister to the needs of the homeless in Ventura and Oxnard. He currently serves as Senior Pastor of Embrace! Simply Jesus (formerly Harbor Missionary Church) under the denomination of the Missionary Church. Embrace Church has an apostolic calling and unique ministry to embrace the forgotten people groups of Ventura County, including the homeless and the migrant worker populations. Bringing together churches and individuals, Samuel has planted mobile churches and released leaders to pursue nation-calling. Pastor Samuel is also President of The Kingdom Center, which utilizes a new model of unity within the church community to care for the poor and broken within the cities it serves. Samuel’s newest book is titled, More Than Animals, written to present proven solutions for the crisis of homelessness in our state–solutions that have been practiced with dignity, love and grace here at Gabriel’s House.

Tammy DuffDirector

Tammy Duff, a Ventura County resident since 1989, became the Director at Gabriel’s House, a Program of The Kingdom Center, in May of 2019. Prior to that, she was the Director at The Kingdom Center Ventura from 2010 to 2013, where she helped build much of the foundation for this growing organization. She has the heart to love and help each woman and child that comes through the doors at Gabriel’s House.

Tammy received her training for what she does from the hands-on ministry at The Dream Center in LA, where she and her husband, Ken, were on the pastoral team for 15 years in its foundational days, along with running their own business for the past 30 years in Ventura County. They both have a heart for the homeless and prayer and have served at several churches in various ministry capacities since being married in 1980. They have two married children and three grandchildren they love spending time with!

Tammy enjoys seeing growth and transformation as hope fills the lives of the women at Gabriel’s House. You can generally find her snapping photos for social media and capturing the fun, miracles, and accomplishments that happen daily! Being near the water, sunsets and ice cream are some of her favorite things!

Yvonne NoblittDirector of Development

As Director of Development, Yvonne Noblitt has a passion for inviting individuals and companies to make an eternal investment in the lives of homeless women and their children. She welcomes you to reach out to learn how you can make a difference at Gabriel’s House.

Yvonne began her writing career in consumer publications, specializing in travel and recreation. Later, she served as Director of Communications for Oaks Christian School in Westlake Village, California. Most recently, she held the position of Director of Creative Services for RK Media, writing and producing nationally syndicated Christian radio and web programs. At both Oaks Christian and RK Media, she developed year-round fundraising campaigns and messaging across all platforms.

Yvonne and her husband, Randy, have a blended family of five adult children and six grandchildren. She keeps active, playing pickleball, cycling, and hiking.

Ed SchutteDirector of Finance

Ed Schutte is the Chief Financial Officer and Grant Writer for Gabriel’s House while serving as Executive Pastor of Embrace Church and Director of Before It Begins. In the past, he’s worked for Target Corporation in Marketing Strategy and as a Senior Manager for Amazon. He specializes in finance, strategy, project management, and business development.

Ed earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Toledo and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Michigan.

He is the proud father of four children. He enjoys camping, biking, physical fitness, and training jiu-jitsu.

Ed says that “Serving at Gabriel’s House is very personal to me. I love being a part of God’s plans for redemption for every woman and child that we serve. I love that I can do my part to create a safe place for them to call home while they are developing the life skills necessary for sustainable living.”

Melanie SierraCase Manager

Melanie has been the Case Manager for Gabriel’s House since 2013. Melanie also serves as a Supervisor for Gabriel’s House. Melanie is a Certified Addiction Disorder Counselor and has been working with diverse populations since 2009. Melanie has worked as a contractor for the California Youth Authority (two years); she worked for a Residential Alcohol and Drug Treatment Program serving both men and women. She was responsible for completing intakes, treatment planning, facilitating groups, discharge planning, and collaborating with other agencies as needed (five years). Melanie has also worked with an Adolescent Outpatient Treatment Program and provided services at various locations to include school settings throughout Ventura County (six years). Melanie is also currently employed with the County of Ventura as an Addictive Disorder Treatment Specialist and has been employed with the County of Ventura since 2016.

As a Case Manager, Melanie is responsible for interviewing potential residents, completing intakes, case planning, discharge planning, and collaborating with other agencies as needed. Some agencies include Probation, Parole, Children and Family Services, Human Services Agency, the Department of Rehabilitation, Interface, Pacific Clinics, Homeless Court, mental health providers, and alcohol and drug treatment providers. Melanie meets individually with each resident once weekly or as needed to ensure that individuals are making progress towards their goals. If goals are being met, residents in Emergency Shelter may also be considered for our Transitional Living Program, allowing residents to live onsite for up to one year.

As a youth and young adult, Melanie spent her time between Ventura County and Colorado. Melanie is a single mother who lives in Oxnard with her two sons and her Miniature Pinscher, Smokey. She enjoys reading, writing, poetry, and anything having to do with nature.

Board of Directors

Samuel GallucciCEO & Founder

Samuel Gallucci and his wife Toni, since 2005, have devoted their lives to ministry. As an author, he wrote Road Warrior: How to Keep Your Faith, Relationships, and Integrity When Away from Home (Random House). Leaving a successful career in business, Samuel initially joined the staff at Calvary Community Church in Westlake Village. Soon after, he felt God’s call to minister to the needs of the homeless in Ventura and Oxnard. He currently serves as Senior Pastor of Embrace! Simply Jesus (formerly Harbor Missionary Church) under the denomination of the Missionary Church. Embrace Church has an apostolic calling and unique ministry to embrace the forgotten people groups of Ventura County, including the homeless and the migrant worker populations. Bringing together churches and individuals, Samuel has planted mobile churches and released leaders to pursue nation-calling. Pastor Samuel is also President of The Kingdom Center, which utilizes a new model of unity within the church community to care for the poor and broken within the cities it serves. Samuel’s newest book is titled, More Than Animals, written to present proven solutions for the crisis of homelessness in our state. These solutions are practiced at Gabrile’s House to offer our precious residents dignity, love and grace.

Iris Carignan

Iris is an artist, inspirational speaker, and author and illustrator of Fresh Eyes: Seeing God in the Unexpected and Moriah’s Wings. She shares her faith and personal journey through her writing and art.

Iris’s love of God, art and writing began nearly simultaneously at the age of nine. That is when she came to faith in Jesus, had her first painting lesson, and wrote her first book. As Iris entered her teens, inspirations of poetry began to flow from her heart as well. Her poetry has touched many since those early days and her poem “Footsteps of My Lord” is published in the International Library of Poetry. As an award-winning painter, Iris has been recognized both locally and nationally. Her paintings hang in collections around the nation and have gained her a reputation as a painter of peace. However, she considers her best work of art to be her longtime marriage to her husband, Larry, and her three children and seven grandchildren.

At Gabriel’s House, Iris began as a volunteer and today serves as a member of the Board of Directors and Team Hope. Her many talents have added to the success of recent Gabriel’s House events.

T. Randolph Catanese, Esq.

Randy has been a practicing attorney since 1983. His successful law firm, Catanese & Wells, is headquartered in Westlake Village. Randy is a member of the California Bar, the Federal Bar and is admitted to practice before all courts in the state of California. He is also a member of the California State Bar Litigation, Estate and Business Law Sections. Randy regularly participates in the Los Angeles County and Ventura County Bar Associations.

As a civil litigation lawyer in California, Randy has handled a number of multi-million-dollar litigation cases including those involving claims, commercial and civil litigation, and real estate disputes. He is also thoroughly experienced in the business arena assisting clients of all sizes from start-ups to established companies seeking to expand and grow. While acting as counsel to Direct Stock Market, a private venture capital firm, Randy organized and co-chaired the DSM Capital Access and Business Development Symposium where more than $2 billion in venture capital was represented. Several appellate cases argued by Randy have been published both in California State Courts and before the Federal Court of Appeal, 9th Circuit.

Randy received his bachelor’s degree in General Studies from the University of Arizona where he appeared on the Dean’s List. He then graduated from Pepperdine University School of Law in 1983 juris doctor cum laude. While attending Pepperdine he was a member of the Law Review where he published two articles. Randy has appeared as a guest lecturer at the University of Arizona and at Pepperdine teaching courses related to real estate development and finance, and race-horse syndication, equine law, and business.

Born in Tucson, Arizona, Mr. Catanese was raised in Philadelphia. He and his wife, Debbie, have three children and 8 grandchildren.

Prudence Kuai

Prudence is a veteran of the healthcare industry with extensive executive level Operations and Information Technology management experience. She has served in executive positions with Alliance Healthcare Services, Chief Information Officer; Florida Blue (Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida), Chief Information Officer Senior VP of Operations; TriZetto Group, Senior VP of Product Management; and Anthem Inc. (WellPoint Inc), Divisional Chief Information Officer & VP of IT.

Prudence has served on the boards of directors for Mission House of Jacksonville Beach, Florida, Daniel Kids of Jacksonville, Florida, and Haven House in Pasadena, California.

Randy Noblitt

Randy Noblitt has used his education, experience and passion to serve others in many capacities. After a successful career in commercial real estate, Randy pursued a master’s degree in psychology to fulfill God’s calling on his life. For the past several years, he has worked as a licensed marriage and family therapist in Westlake Village, California. Randy has a deep desire to see people set free from fear, shame, emotional paralysis, and destructive behaviors. He has worked with both men and women, along with couples and families on a diverse set of issues, including marriage, co-parenting, depression, anxiety, and adjustment disorders. Randy has a particular gifting to guide adolescents and young adults as they develop healthy and meaningful lives. In addition, Randy regularly partners with churches to help those with deep psychological trauma.

Randy and his wife, Yvonne, have a blended family of five children and five grandchildren. They live in Oak Park, California, and are frequent visitors to their second home in Scottsdale, Arizona. Randy enjoys cycling, UCLA football, and adventures with Yvonne and their close group of friends and family.

Katherine L. Saigeon

Kathy joined Christian Foundation of America as its President and Executive Director in September 2012. She has served on the Board of CFA since 2002, as Board Treasurer. A career executive in philanthropy, she served as Chief Financial Officer of The Fuller Foundation in Pasadena, California, (affiliate Foundation for Fuller Theological Seminary) for more than 12 years. During that time, The Fuller Foundation grew from $130 million to over $500 million in charitable assets, providing services as a trust fiduciary for charitable trusts, donor advised funds, and other Christian-based, not-for-profit organizations on a national basis. Previously, Kathy was Chief Financial Officer for two multi-billion dollar foundations, The California Foundation Endowment, and was VP of Finance for The Kellogg Foundation. Her career in philanthropy spans 25 years.

She is a member of the American Institute of CPAs and the California Society of CPAs. Her early career as a CPA was with Price Waterhouse where she specialized in large not-for-profit organization audit practice. She has served in leadership positions on numerous charitable organization boards, Christian ministries, and professional associations during her career, and conducted public speaking in the fields of philanthropy, stewardship, leadership, and institutional investment management. She currently is a member of Kingdom Advisors, co-hosting the Kingdom Advisors West Ventura County Chapter, and on the Board of Directors of The Urban Ministry Institute (TUMI) Harbor Ventura. A member of Calvary Community Church in Westlake Village, Ca., she serves on a senior strategic advisory council to the Board of Elders and is active in stewardship educational ministries.

Kathy is passionate about bringing Christian-based stewardship, philanthropy and giving services to families and ministries. She has two sons, Steven and Paul, and two beautiful grandchildren.

Randall P. Sanada, Sr.

Randall P. Sanada, Sr., CFP®, ChFC, MSFS, CKA® is an investor and financial advisor, and has served in the financial services industry since 1972. Randall was a founding member of the Gold Team of Senior Advisors at American Express and was featured in its 1985 Annual Report.

In 1987 Randall retired from American Express and established a “family office” to manage their holdings. Other families were invited to participate and Alliance Entrust emerged. Today, Alliance has become a centralized financial services firm providing its clients with various resources ranging from asset management to tax and estate planning under the direction of a team of credentialed financial professionals.

Randall has earned: Master of Science, Financial Services (MSFS), Master of Science, Management (MSM), Bachelor of Science, Business Management, and a Bachelor of Science, Data Processing. His credentials include: Certified Financial Planner™ practitioner (CFP), Chartered Life underwriter (CLU), Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) and Certified Kingdom Advisor (CKA).

Randall has served as president for community organizations, including the Chatsworth Chamber of Commerce and the Financial Planners Association – San Fernando Valley Society. Mr. Sanada is a founding member of Kingdom Advisors, with Larry Burkett and Ron Blue. Randall is Chairman Emeritus of Christian Foundation of America and is a founding Board Member of Gabriel’s House.

Randall enjoys snow skiing, flying, and spending quality time with his wife, Kaylene, his four sons, and now four grandchildren.

Jeff deDomenico

Jeff has been a resident of Ventura County since 1996 when he moved to the area to attend Cal Lutheran University. He is married to his wife, Sophia, and has three children. Jeff is a local business owner who owns a few businesses based in the real estate and construction industry.

Prior to his businesses, Jeff spent 20 years in the medical device industry. His days in corporate America have served him well in owning his own businesses. He encompasses an adept skill set that is unique to most entrepreneurs. He is the son of a custom home builder and grew up to know construction like the back of his hand. His depth of knowledge, love of architecture, and real estate development know-how makes his building style one of a kind. This has led to a winning combination of on-time and on-budget results for his clients.

Jeff is active in the community and has been involved at Gabriel’s House since Day 1. He and Sophia were foster parents in Ventura County for seven years. His heart for the vulnerable in our community paired with his community service and real estate development expertise makes him a natural fit for the Gabriel’s House board of directors.

Sophia deDomenico

Sophia is a long term resident of Thousand Oaks. She resides in the city with her husband, Jeff, and their three elementary aged children. She and her husband are local business owners working in the construction and design industries. Sophia holds a B.A. from Cal State Northridge.

Prior to their businesses, Sophia spent many years in the biotech industry. There she gained a rich business acumen. From her Fortune 500 experience to her repertoire of owning her own businesses, she encompasses a noteworthy skill set. She excels at building teams and leading people of diverse backgrounds towards accomplishing common goals.

Sophia is an active community volunteer. She and Jeff were foster parents in our county for seven years. She is the VP of her children’s school PTSA. She has served as a leader, coach, and volunteer to many local organizations such as Gabriel’s House, AYSO, Steel United, TO Little League, MOPS, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and others. She has also been on staff and volunteered at many local churches.