Page 7 - Samaritas Fall/Winter Our Hands 2022

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS

FLAGSTAR BANK DONATION ON AUGUST
31 After a Kalamazoo-area Flagstar Bank
Employee Resource Group invited us to
apply for a $5,000 grant, our team leapt
at the chance. And it was worth the effort,
when we won the grant to support Afghans
in the City of Kalamazoo served by the New
Americans West team. Samaritas will use
the grant in a variety of ways to best help
Kalamazoo refugees achieve rapid self-
sufficiency. Support includes case management, transportation, physical and or mental health
wellbeing, basic needs, and legal assistance for long-term visa applications.
WOODSIDE BIBLE CHURCH We had a tremendous
EDNA TO THE RESCUE On Friday, July 15, there engagement with Woodside Bible Church for their Hope
was a two-car crash in front of Samaritas Senior Week. Their group of middle schoolers adopted our
Living - Grands Rapids Terraces Community. Detroit and Rochester Hills Affordable Living communities
and set up a week of activities for both campuses. They
When one of our residents, Edna Hulst, went played all kinds of games, celebrated a birthdays, and had
outside, she saw a pregnant mom and two small dance parties. There were even hugs and tears from the
children who were bewildered by the accident. residents and kids on the last day. It had a truly wonderful,
Without a second thought, Edna asked if they long-lasting impact on all those who were involved.
needed help.
The two children needed to use the restroom.
She calmly led them by the hand, took them to
the bathroom, and cleaned up the cut on one of
their lips—all of this being done with youngsters
who did not speak English. Yet the universal
language of love and care came through.
We are proud of you, Edna, for serving people as
an expression of Christ’s love!
RAINY DAY CLEAN UP FOR AFFORDABLE
LIVING ALLEN MANOR Big thank you to the
volunteers from West Cannon Baptist Church
for braving the cold fall weather to weed around
the grounds of Samaritas Affordable Living
Allen Manor in Grand Rapids! The spruced-
SIBLING DUO HELPING OUT REFUFEE up grounds help create a welcoming and
CHILDREN Shout out to the incredible teen cheerful atmosphere loved by the residents and
sibling duo Dylan and Kevin Agha, who community members. Y’all deserve the biggest
want to ensure no child gets left behind cup of hot cider - You Rock!
this school year! After seeing the needs of
incoming refugees, these brothers were
inspired to step up and help out. Specifically MICHIGAN FEDERATION FOR CHILDREN AND
targeting the need for school supplies, they FAMILIES Congratulations to our very own Trisha
have worked for over a year in collaboration Sverns for receiving the Advocate, Collaborate,
with their mother, Mandy Bahadori, to build Make a Difference Award from the Michigan
their charitable organization – soon to be an Federation for Children and Families, alongside
official nonprofit – Edutopia! So far, Edutopia Nakia Kyler of West Michigan Partnership for
has been able to donate over a thousand Children.
dollars worth of school supplies to refugees Nakia and Trisha are co-chairs of the Federation’s
in Michigan! newest Member Interest Network (MIN) on
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. Not only have
Nakia and Trisha taken on leadership of this new
member group, they have been instrumental in
developing this group and laying the groundwork
and foundation for these conversations to occur
at this level and within the Federation network.
Congratulations to them both!!

BUILDING MEN FOR LIFE Samaritas’ SUD site in
Holland (Ottawa County) has a unique partnership with
Building Men for Life, a local transitional housing service.
The individuals at this home, while gaining access to
safe, supportive, and structured living environment,
have limited availability to treatment. By partnering
with Samaritas, these individuals can obtain a broad
continuum of services based on medical necessity.
Highly trained professionals perform a thorough
biopsychosocial and make recommendations. These
recommendations may include individual therapy,
group therapy, family therapy, case management,
recovery coaching, Medication-Assisted Treatment, and
psychiatric services.

7