History | The Crossroads Foundation

our history

The Crossroads Foundation was founded in San Diego in May 1957, by a group of prominent judges, attorneys and civic leaders who were concerned about the disease of alcoholism. The founders included Bernice Morris, Judge Dean Sherry, a federal research attorney and other members of the community.

Prior to forming the Foundation, the founders consulted with public and charitable agencies. They discovered that there was no place in San Diego where a woman alcoholic could go for food, shelter, clothing or help to recover from her disease of alcoholism. They also learned that many women who entered the criminal justice system had an alcohol problem. These factors inspired them to create the Crossroads Foundation to address this tremendous need in the community.

A Founders' House committee of club and church women as well as recovering alcoholics was formed to solicit donations needed for a residence accommodating a group of women. They located a home to rent and the Crossroads Foundation facility was opened on December 22, 1957.

Bernice Morris became the first President of the Crossroads Foundation Board of Directors and served in that capacity until her death in 1976.

Dedicated Crossroads staff, board members and community members have been vital in keeping Crossroads one of the finest recovery homes for women throughout California. Below are some of the significant milestones in Crossroads’ history. (Some dates are approximations based on available information.)

SIGNIFICANT DATES AND MILESTONES


May 1, 1957	Crossroads was officially founded.
December 22, 1957	The first woman resident moved into Crossroads at the original location of 3334 Fifth Avenue, San Diego.
January 21, 1960	Bernice Morris, founder of Crossroads Foundation, was named San Diego’s “Woman of the Year.”
November 17, 1961	The King’s Daughters of San Diego, Inc., donated money to purchase the current Crossroads location in the Hillcrest area of San Diego.
December 1961	Crossroads hosted its first Open House to the community.
December 1979	Helen Hann became the Executive Director of Crossroads in 1979. She was often considered to be a pioneer for women in recovery as she was willing to take risks and trudge new territory for the benefit of women. She was instrumental in educating the public on women’s issues regarding alcoholism throughout San Diego County and the State of California.
December 9, 1982	Pete Wilson, the 29th mayor of the City of San Diego, proclaimed December 9, 1982, “CROSSROADS FOUNDATION DAY” in honor of Crossroads’ 25th anniversary.
July 1983	Ross Robbins joined the Board of Directors in 1983 and dedicated much of his life to Crossroads. Ross strongly believed in the Crossroads’ mission and made it a top priority in his life. Ross was President of the Board for three separate terms and was instrumental in recruiting volunteers and rallying the community for the benefit of Crossroads.
September 1983	Faith Gates served Crossroads in many capacities. She began her commitment to Crossroads in 1983 by volunteering to oversee residents’ activities on weekends. Faith was then hired by Crossroads and worked as the Resident Manager, then the Program Director and became the Executive Director in 1992. Faith willingly helped countless women rebuild their lives and was a mentor to many. Faith retired in April 1997, but remains devoted to Crossroads by facilitating groups as a volunteer.
June 1987	Crossroads held its first annual “Pasta & Jazz” fundraiser, based upon an inspiration of Bill Robinson, an active Board member. Bill was extremely dedicated to the success of this event. He carefully selected the pasta recipes and made several trips south of the border to get the perfect serving bowls. Several days prior to the event, he worked with Board members and residents in the kitchen to supervise the cooking of the pasta and the special sauces.
April 1992	Maria Costello, current Executive Director for Crossroads, has a passion for helping women in recovery. In addition to her formal education in the field of alcohol and drug treatment, she sought wisdom from those who have paved the way in recovery services. When Maria became Executive Director in 1997, her first action was to re-establish the three-quarter house in a location close to the main house.
OCTOBER 13, 2000	Pasta & Jazz 2000 was dedicated to the memory of Ross Robbins, with Mayor Susan Golding declaring October 13, 2000, “CROSSROADS FOUNDATION DAY” in his honor. Many “FORs” (Friends of Ross) were also in attendance at this very special event.
February 14, 2003	Crossroads staff held the first annual Valentine’s Day Bake Sale.
June 15, 2005	Crossroads hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony for the completion of the construction of the Crossroads Computer Lab. Two local financial institutions supported this effort by donating funds and personal computers. The purpose of the lab is to provide computer literacy skills and job readiness for Crossroads residents.
July 4, 2005	Crossroads launched its first official website www.crossroads4recovery.org. Coinciding with this event, it also announced the “Legacy Club,” a program for planned giving.
April 1, 2006	To better serve women in need of rehabilitation, Crossroads opened a second location in the Hillcrest area directly across the street from Crossroads' primary house. This location, “Brookes Place,” was developed to serve women who have completed the first three phases of their recovery at Crossroads' Fourth Avenue house and have gained employment.

The Crossroads Mission Statement: We provide residential and outpatient services in a safe and caring environment for women in San Diego County suffering from the disease of addiction. To facilitate this mission, we provide a comprehensive range of individualized high-quality services designed to help the women we serve.

Partially funded by the County of San Diego

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