"Go and Do Likewise" - Luke 10:37

Outreach at Good Samaritan is about people helping people of all generations and backgrounds.  Just as the petals of a flower grow from the center, we wish to direct our energy outward, keeping Christ at our center. 

Our recent efforts have included offering aid to local homeless and low-income families, abused women, children of prisoners, military in Iraq, families and orphaned children in Rwanda, victims of hurricane Katrina, and abused and abandoned children.

OUTREACH is alive and well at Good Sam! 

Interfaith Shelter:  Our guests were moved in on Saturday, March 15, 2008.  A lot of Good Sam volunteers worked together to set up Roetter Hall to accommodate various cubicles to allow for privacy during their three-week stay with us.  MANY, many people helped in many, many ways with flexibility, cooperation and patience. It reminded me of a Scripture reflection I’d read on Mark 2: 3-5 about four men on a mission.  Their friend needed help and “they believed if they could just bring him to Jesus, he would be healed.  But the house where Jesus was preaching was so crowded they couldn’t get in.  So they carefully placed their friend on a mat and carried him up to the roof.  Once there, they made an opening and lowered him into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus…. each of the friends ‘held up their corner.’ If just one of them had dropped his end of the mat… or had decided he had other priorities that day…or had chosen not to help because ‘somebody else would probably do it’…the ‘mission’ would have failed.”  Thank you Good Samaritan for supporting ALL FOUR CORNERS!

At our March Meeting we discussed where to tithe the 10% of the Building Fund that has been designated for Outreach.  It was decided to continue to send the monies to Camp Stevens, but to designate a portion for their building needs and a portion to camperships to children of the Sudanese community of St. Luke’s Episcopal to they can experience a week of camp.

Good Samaritan has adopted a World Vision Hope Child for the year.  Her name is Mastike and she was born January 21, 1998 in Ethiopia.

The Good Sam Pantry has been restocked because of the shopping efforts of Kathleen Ide and the lunch bag preparation by Mary Glassey.

Our 2nd Quarter Open Plate Collection, taken on Mother’s Day, will go toward a Military Outreach-either Rescue Task Force or Military phone cards.

Eric Lynn announced that the CCSA (Community Christion Service Association) location on Clairemont Drive on Tuesday mornings is the busiest stop for the free “Health Care Services Bus”.

Our next Outreach meeting will be Saturday, April 12th at 11:30 a.m.  Please join us!  We meet in the Good Sam Nursery.

Phone Card Fund: This fund provides money for the purchase of phone cards, which are distributed to our troops stationed in Iraq.  In 2006, the congregation and Boy Scout Troop 1212 donated $2,469.62 to purchase phone cards.  Morgan Hall, a Good Sam church member, who was stationed in Iraq in 2006, purchased the cards and distributed them to the troops around Father's Day.  John, Betsy, and Peter Veneziano of our parish were instrumental in seeking the monetary support of Boy Scout Troop 1212, for which we are grateful. Contact Eric Lynn for additional information.

Angel Tree Project: This project shares Christ's love by helping to meet the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of the families of prisoners by connecting parents in prison with their children through the delivery of Christmas gifts.  Wendy Poyhonen of our parish finds sponsors from the congregation to provide wrapped gifts for approximately 25 children. Contact Wendy Poyhonen for additional information.
http://www.angeltree.org/site_hmpg.asp