Page 15 - 2021 Spring Summer Our Hands

ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS

HOME DEPOT HELPING OUR HOMELESS FAMILIES

he Home Depot, through its Foundation, provided funds to Keeping our families safe also means keeping our rooms and
Samaritas’ Family Center, our family homeless shelter, and we common areas looking clean, neat and beautiful. We are so grateful
Tput those dollars to good use. The Family Center used this to the support of the Home Depot Foundation and the St. Paul’s
generous award to purchase paint for a large painting project of five congregation volunteers who know how important it is that families
rooms that took place in March. The wonderful volunteers at St. Paul stay together and have comfortable spaces for fellowship, even
Lutheran provided the hands to make this happen. when struggling with homelessness.

Tamieka Andrews, director of the center, recalls “I received a call If you would like to volunteer for other projects like this or donate to
back in late 2020 from a representative of Home Depot who said that our Family Homeless Shelter, please contact
they found our center on the internet and were interested in Lauren.Brosch@samaritas.org
submitting our center for consideration of a holiday donation.

SAM ARITAS FAMILY CENTER AL SO HELPS WAYNE
COUNT Y W ITH FOOD INSECURIT Y

ur family homeless shelter, the Family Center, is not only a organizations such as soup kitchens and food pantries that directly
temporary home for families experiencing issues with serve the public.
Ofinding permanent housing, but also serves as the Wayne
County TEFAP distribution site. TEFAP is the Federal Emergency Through this food program, Samaritas impacts tens of thousands of
Food Assistance Program. lives in Wayne County. Especially during the pandemic, families are
experiencing food insecurity and this program ensures that there
Through TEFAP, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) are many local, easy-to-access places where families can go to get
purchases USDA Foods, including processing and packaging, and food staples.
makes it available to State Distributing Agencies. The amount of
food that each State receives out of the total amount of food that is The Samaritas Family Center relies heavily on the generous
provided is based on the number of unemployed persons and the contributions and volunteer efforts of surrounding communities. If
number of people with incomes below the poverty level in the you would like to make a monetary donation, a donation of items, or
State. States provide the food to local agencies that they have a donation of your time, please contact
selected, usually food banks, but at Samaritas, it is our family Lauren.Brosch@samaritas.org or go to Samaritas.org\Donate.
homeless shelter, which in turn, distributes the food to local

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