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CHILD AND FAMILY SAGINAW

New Hope Academy Samaritas, in partnership with Ferris State University, will

also provide a holistic approach to education by combining
to Open in 2020 wraparound human services with an innovative academic
approach, leading to improved student success, when
Late last year, Samaritas received the Outstanding Non-Profit New Hope Public Academy opens in 2020. The Academy
Award at the 16th Heart of the City Community Awards will incorporate an ecological, full family approach to
Luncheon, presented by The Michigan Banner. education. This integrated approach will include a range
of support programs geared toward meeting each family’s
This award kicked off a year-long Samaritas initiative called comprehensive needs to support
Lift Up Saginaw … One child, one family, one neighborhood student success.
at a time. A long-time participant in the Saginaw community 85 Years of History
Samaritas has programs in foster care, adoption, behavioral Also part of Lift Up Saginaw, a
health, family preservation, in home care for persons with full-scale renovation to Samaritas In 1949, Neighborhood
disabilities, a Senior Living community and a Community Senior Living Saginaw completes House moves into its first
Center serving families and youth. Samaritas aims to walk the community, consisting of 40
alongside Saginaw residents and showcase its dedication to, private rooms in a new state-of-the- permanent house on the
south side of Saginaw in
and long relationship with, the city of Saginaw. art rehabilitation center, private a new building funded by
At the center of this initiative is the Samaritas Community long term care bedrooms, and a generous donors.
Center, located in a resilient neighborhood from where a lot secure memory care. Plus, Samaritas
of Saginaw leadership are from. is expanding its partnership with
Saginaw Valley State University through its Social Work
The Community Center, formerly known as Neighborhood master’s degree program, Education Department and
House or “The Neib,” has been supporting South Saginaw Nursing School for case management and support through
for more than 75 years. The center provides after-school and both prevention and treatment services for chronic health
summer educational programming for youth, adolescents and behavioral care needs of families.
and families, who are welcome for a free-of-charge nutritious
hot dinner daily. Last year, Samaritas served more than To learn more about the New Hope Academy, visit their
20,000 hot evening meals to community members. Facebook page at New Hope Public School Academy.

From Samaritas' Neighborhood House to Successful Leader | Jerome Buckley

“Reimagine your Situation”

"Reimagine your situation.” That’s LIFT UP
his advice.. And that’s advice he has
taken many times in his life. From Saginaw
his humble beginnings, growing up
in an impoverished area of Saginaw,
to working at the General Motors
Foundry when he was just in high
school, to owning his own beauty
supply business and now, as the
owner of a successful newspaper,
The Michigan Banner, Jerome has forged his own path by
reimagining his situation.

A large part of his early childhood was spent at the One of Jerome’s favorite memories is playing on the
Samaritas Community Center, formerly known as Neighborhood All Stars baseball team. “We had three
Neighborhood House, or “The Neib.” Favorite activities, like different teams, 11 and under, 13 and under and 16 and
chess and checkers competitions, fishing tournaments at under. I played on them all!”
the nearby Saginaw River, Easter Egg Hunts and Christmas
parties…all of these social connections were gently Even with all the fun times at Neighborhood House, Jerome
introducing Jerome to “want to do the positive thing.”
always worked…whether delivering newspapers as a young
boy, or at a retail store, or getting the job at GM, where he
Ray Culpepper, former director of Neighborhood House, worked for 25 years, before starting his own beauty supply
was one of Jerome’s earliest influencers, and was “ahead of business.
his time” according to Jerome. “He really was able to pull all
of those different groups together and provide programming “My advice is to be out front, anticipate the changes that will
for all the different ages.” come. If you don’t happen to it, it will happen to you.”

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