Page 11 - Our Hands FALL 2019

LIFT UP SAGINAW

One child ... One family ...
LIFT UP

Saginaw One neighborhood at a time
Saginaw

amaritas has a long history of providing services and care for seniors and disadvantaged communities
in Michigan, dating back to our first community center established in the 1930s. We embrace the 16,862
Sresponsibility we have to serve vulnerable people to the very best of our ability. An excellent example
is the Samaritas Community Center (formerly called Neighborhood House), in Saginaw’s urban MEALS SERVED
Southside. South Saginaw is not an easy place to raise a family, largely due to a lack of economic and
educational opportunities. Many residents face daily concerns regarding safety, and suffer financial
hardship that limits their access to affordable healthy eating choices or even the use of a home computer.
The Samaritas Community Center provides a safe haven for children in challenging neighborhoods.
Children are welcomed after school to focus on homework and safe extracurricular activities. Families 84%
are welcomed in the evenings for a hot meal. Adolescents and young adults find safety at the Community CHILDREN HAD
Center during the day, along with guidance toward education and job placement, as well as building the PASSING GRADES
courage to stay away from the lure of local gangs.

Saginaw is also home to Samaritas’ Senior Living Community, newly renovated after a 3-year investment.
Our community offers memory care, skilled nursing or rehabilitation. Expert clinical teams help evaluate
individual needs to determine what program will best meet your needs while also allowing for the most
independence possible. Rooted in faith, we believe in the whole person; mind, body and spirit and 100%
provide care to meet each need. We have served the Saginaw community for over 70 years, and are
looking forward to another 70! For more information on Lift Up Saginaw or to join one of our uplifting WOULD RECOMMEND
program tours, please contact DeeDee McVety at dmcve@samaritas.org or call (313) 308 - 8861. SAMARITAS SENIOR
LIVING SAGINAW

Who's Lifting Up Saginaw? Andre Buckley

Growing Up at the Neighborhood House

For Andre Buckley, the Samaritas
Community Center - formerly
Neighborhood House - was
a part of his life ever since he
can remember. He grew up in a
little red house that today, is the
Center’s parking lot. "I was at the
Neighborhood House whenever it
was open.

There were always activities going on…The Center
did a great job of matching kids to programs. And Samaritas Community Center. “It has the potential to be
holidays were always celebrated…Because maybe a real catalyst in that area. It fills a void and could really
there might not have been a celebration at home.” go a long way to getting the neighborhood back to its
heyday.”
Andre enjoyed playing sports, especially basketball. “I
wasn’t that great of a basketball player, but I did like Andre eventually outgrew the Neighborhood House
watching the tournaments.” He also enjoyed going to and went on to college and a lucrative career in wealth
nearby Wickes Park for fishing and remembers the management and now real estate. But the memories
summer lunch program fondly. he has of the fun times and friends he met are good
ones.
His mentors were the older kids. “They looked out for
me and didn’t let me get into trouble,” he laughs. Andre “That sense of family, that togetherness…That’s what I
is excited about the charter school opening at the remember most about growing up in that
neighborhood.”

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