Page 3 - Our Hands SPRING 2019

85 YEARS OF IMPACT

85 Years and Counting!

Samaritas celebrates its state-wide impact
It was not the most auspicious start
1919 1936 for the new city missionary to Detroit

First Adoptive Child placed in a forever home. when the Reverend Martin Luther
Reverend Martin Luther Frederik Fredrick arrived in 1919 from his former
arrived in Detroit. pastorate in Luckey, Ohio. Fredrick
drove an old Studebaker from Ohio
to downtown Detroit with a crate of
chickens tied to the back. The car stalled
on the railroad tracks, and amid much
beeping and squawking, and a tow from
a reverend, Fredrick finally made it to his
1948 destination…and the rest, as they say, is
history. Or at least Samaritas history!

Purchases residence on East Grand Blvd. Humble beginnings, steady growth, and
as a home for the aged. support from donors and volunteers
has meant that for 85 years, Samaritas
1949 has been able to serve others as an
Neighborhood House opens after moving to its expression of the love of Christ. From a
permanent home on the south side of Saginaw. 1955 simple ministry to the poor, Samaritas
has grown to one of Michigan’s largest
non-profits and serves more than 15,000
Named Michigan agency for the refugee program people each year, with its 2,000 staff and
of the National Lutheran Council. volunteers.

In 1934, when The Lutheran Inner
1959
Delegates of seven synods of National Mission League of Greater Detroit was
formally established, and therefore
1960 Lutheran Council vote to establish
Expansion to West Michigan Lutheran Social Services of Michigan (LSSM) became the year Samaritas “officially”
and to cooperate in programs serving began, the country was slowly recovering
Michigan's Lower Penninsula.
1965 from the Great Depression. Prior to
2000th adoption was recorded for the agency. this point, the objective of the fledgling
Grand Rapids joins the agency with Senior Services. ministry was primarily to help the
poor. From this formal establishment,
1970 the agency begin adding services and
Service to older adults expands in expanding its reach to better care for
both Grand Rapids and Detroit. children, seniors and persons with
disabilities.

There have been many milestones over
our 85 year history; too many to recount
1978 here. But some of the major ones include
the opening of Neighborhood House,
now the Samaritas Community Center
The Lansing office of Child and Family Services
opens - the 1st time in 31 years a private agency of Saginaw, in 1949, the grand opening
is asked to do foster care in this city. of what is now Samaritas Senior Living
of Saginaw, in 1968, our first foray into
services for the developmentally disabled
1980 in 1976, along with the opening of our
campus for seniors in Grand Rapids, our
60th anniversary celebration with Ernie
Opens and assumes management of five
Affordable Living facilities. Harwell in 1994, and our rebrand to
Samaritas in 2016.

Today, Samaritas has over 63 program
1990 sites in more than 40 cities across the

2016 lower peninsula. We are recognized as a
leader in child welfare and development,
Samaritas is born. In an effort to become Ministry to help the homeless begins. senior care, affordable housing for
more inclusive and serve more people,
LSSM changes its name to Samaritas. seniors, families and persons with
disabilities and refugee resettlement.

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