For some at the shelter, this holiday season is their first in years spent off the beach. They couldn't think of a better Christmas present.

The 235 people — including some 100 children — living at the newly opened Onelau'ena state transitional shelter in Kalaeloa celebrated Christmas yesterday with lively dances, festive singing and plenty of camaraderie.

Many gave thanks for the roof over their heads and a chance to start a new year with the hope — sometime down the road — for a home of their own.

"I feel secure here," said Eleen Matias, a 25-year-old mother of two boys, who moved into the shelter two weeks ago after six months on the beach. "It feels so good to take a warm shower and cook a good meal for my kids."

Gov. Linda Lingle attended to give residents a pep talk and hand out presents to kids. Shelter residents even got her to dance the Electric Slide.

The shelter, a converted military office building at the old Barbers Point Naval Air Station, started admitting families living along the Wai'anae Coast in October. It is the second shelter the state has opened as it tries to get homeless people off beaches and into permanent housing.

A third shelter is set to open in Wai'anae next month.

Kanani Bulawan, executive director of Wai'anae Community Outreach, which runs the shelter, said her families and couples — only a fraction of the homeless living along the Wai'anae Coast — are optimistic about their futures and their prospects for permanent housing for the first time in a long time.

"They've been given the opportunity to make decisions," Bulawan said.

Joseph Pinero spent 10 years on the beach before deciding to enter drug treatment and straighten up his life. Girlfriend Teresa McCollum pledged to go clean and sober with him, and the two are now looking forward to a life together. "We made a choice to change our lives," McCollum said.

The two moved into the shelter a month ago, and say they are happy to finally be putting their lives back together. They sat on beach chairs yesterday, watching kids perform hula to Christmas music. "I think we were blessed being able to come here," McCollum said, nodding her head vigorously.

The 45-year-old came to the Islands about a year ago to live with her son. When he was incarcerated, she was evicted. And with no money, job or friends, she was forced out on the streets, where she met Pinero.

At the tail-end of yesterday's party, a long line formed for kids to get presents from the governor. When Shirzell Tupa got to the front of the line, the 19-year-old beamed with joy and asked her boyfriend to take a photo of her and her 2-year-old boy, Sanzton Vaovasa Tupa, with the governor.

"It is good here," Tupa said, as she struggled to carry her boy and his new wrapped toy after taking the photo. Though Tupa and her child only spent about a week on the beach, her boyfriend was homeless for about a year.

As a bright afternoon sun beat down on them, the young family gave thanks for their togetherness and their newfound hope for a home.

"It's just everything we could ask for," Tupa said.

Reach Mary Vorsino at mvorsino@honoluluadvertiser.com.