Page 2 - Our Hands Fall 2020

Grist

for the Mill

B
Y S
BY SAM BEALS, CEO SAMARITASAS
AMARIT
AM B
EALS, CEO S
Rapid Response with Tremendous Support
hen we reflect on 2020, we provide affordable housing for seniors in
are increasingly grateful for Grand Rapids, and the Grand Rapids Child
Whow the Lord has sustained & Family office consolidation remodeling
and blessed Samaritas. By his grace and project in another remodeled building
through your prayers, because of your on the St. Joseph Seminary campus. Each
volunteer support and with the help of of these projects enhance our capacity to
your gifts you have enabled Samaritas provide additional services to the vulnerable
to thrive and fulfill our mission despite populations we serve. During this time we
the unprecedented and pervasive have also experienced notable growth in our
impact of COVID-19 on our service home-based counseling, substance abuse
delivery and the communities we serve treatment and affordable housing services.
across the state.
We are confident that these many blessings
As you can imagine, COVID-19 mitigation are the result of God’s faithfulness to this
has been the focus of much of our energy, ministry and that as we continue to stay
resources and time from the beginning of educational tools with school being moved true to our mission of Serving People as an
this pandemic as all of our services and their home, and to provide counseling Expression of the Love of Christ, that our
projects were deemed essential. We moved services through telehealth devices. This services will thrive in the years ahead. We
quickly to ensure that our patients, clients gifting also provided technology support and hold this confidence because of how He has
and staff would be kept safe from the ravages connectivity for our refugees, for those living provided for this ministry in the past and
of this pandemic. For Samaritas this meant, in our affordable housing communities, for through these present challenges, and as we
adapting to a new way of providing services children and families living in our homeless lean on and into his promise to us as stated
for children, families, refugees, for persons center and for our home-based counseling in Joshua 1:9 – “Be strong and courageous. Do
with disabilities, seniors, for those with programs to help parents search for jobs not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord
substance abuse challenges, the homeless when they lost their jobs due to the COVID- your God will be with you wherever you go.”
and those living in our affordable housing 19 driven economic slow-down. Your
campuses across the state. generous and timely response to this need Grace & Peace,
and opportunity has been a wonderful gift Sam Beals
When the pandemic came upon us, we
immediately set up the Samaritas COVID for thousands during these unprecedented Chief Executive Officer
Crisis Relief Fund, to raise vital funds in times.
support of securing Personal Protective Finally, we are glad to share that despite the
Equipment (PPE) and cleaning supplies for many and varied challenges this ministry
those we serve and our staff. These resources has endured this year we have completed the
also enabled us to secure tablets and iPads Freedom Village affordable housing project
to help connect our seniors to loved ones for refugees in Hamtramck, the remodeling
who could no longer visit, to help connect project at our Sequoia affordable housing
our foster kids to their birth parents, to for seniors campus in Ann Arbor, the St.
help connect all of the kids in our care to Joseph Seminary renovation project that will

Our Hands FALL 2020, ISSUE NO. 10

3 VALUES IN ACTION 12-13 WEST MICHIGAN 20-21 PARTNERSHIPS
4-5 SENIOR LIVING 14-15 FOSTER CARE AND ADOPTION 22 AMBASSADORSHIP
6-7 SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER 16-17 NEW AMERICANS 23 CONGREGATIONAL ENGAGEMENT
8-9 COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS 18 FAMILY CENTER
10-11 EVENTS 19 AFFORDABLE LIVING

For general inquiries, email info@samaritas.org For more information visit samaritas.org Cover artwork: New American Youth at YMCA Camp