Samaritan Inn Weekly Director's Report- Week of August 5, 2008

 Program Notes:
 
We are thrilled to announce that Capital One will be our title sponsor for the third annual Good Samaritan Gala to be held on October 17th at the Embassy Suites in Frisco. Capital One has long been a friend of the Inn and we appreciate their continued support! Other sponsorship levels are still available.
 
Maintaining our aging air conditioners continues to be an issue at the Inn- the men's wing went down last Friday but fortunately was able to be repaired. The city of Frisco has donated $2,200 to the cause from CDBG (community development block grant) funds. The amount was based on the number of Frisco residents currently being served.
 
Welcome to the newest dinner club member- Our local Starbucks Stores! Dinner Club members sponsor an evening meal by choosing one of ten menus, paying for the ingredients and then coming on the evening it is prepared, to serve the food to our residents.
 
IBM recently placed The Samaritan Inn in their data base of approved not for profits that their employees may donate to, via payroll deduction. Thanks to volunteer Ron Dean for making that happen.
 
The Thrift Store is thriving, sales from January through July in 2008 exceeded the same period in 2007 by 14.6%.
 
The Dallas Morning News has approved a series of columns on the homeless and we are beginning to prepare it. We will let you know when they will appear.
 
A huge thank you to Howard Rosenberg of All American Roofing who installed gutters (at no cost) all along our building to better drain water from our flat roof- this has been an ongoing problem that we were afraid would have a very expensive solution. Howard is also the guy who put the roof on Gateway!

About the Inn  
The Samaritan Inn was established in 1984 after community leaders joined together to address the issue of homelessness in Collin County. Twenty three years later, The Samaritan Inn is still the only homeless shelter in a county of over 700,000 residents.

All services are provided free of charge through funding made from donations by churches, service organizations, corporations, and individuals. The Samaritan Inn is also a member of the United Way of Collin County.

The Need

Homeless families & individuals are the focus at the Samaritan Inn. In 2007, the Inn served over 634 residents.

The Mission

We are a comprehensive homeless program that helps willing people gain dignity and independence.

The Goal

To help people regain their independence.

The Outcome

Over 70% of the residents had an income and housing when they left The Samaritan Inn last year.

Our Team

The organizational leadership at the Samaritan Inn consists of a volunteer board of directors, several committees that focus on specific areas of operation and a staff of thirty full and part time employees. A large pool of volunteers also provides critical support.

News Articles
Below, you will find links from several newspaper articles written in our local news papers.  Without the support of the Media, educating the community about the issues that face the homeless would be much more difficult.  

*Please direct all media related questions to Lynne Sipiora, Executive Director.


  June 22, 2008                We are ALL Good Samaritans Inside
  April 9, 2008                  Gateway Apartments offers homes, independence for former homeless
  January 20, 2008           Transitional apartments open new doors for Collin's homeless
  November 8, 2007          A roof for the homeless
  September 6, 2007        The Other 30 Percent
  July 12, 2007                'No vacancy' sign one of frustration at Samaritan Inn
  June 28, 2007               Chuck Bloom of Plano: When there's no room at the Inn
  June 18, 2007               Samaritan Inn has different needs over summer months
  March 11, 2007             Homeless shelters may not be what you think
  March 3, 2007               Inn director sees need for another homeless shelter
  December 1, 2006         Building a new Gateway
  November 2, 2006         Steve Blow:  Self-help recipe makes homeless life sweeter
  October 22, 2006          Joseph Kappes:  Down & Out
  September 15, 2006      Lynne Sipiora:  Targeting the Homeless
  June 19, 2006               Fox 4 News Report:  Samaritan Inn-dustries
  June 16, 2006               Fighting homelessness with a sweet tooth
  May 29, 2006               Helping shelter has sweet reward
  April 10, 2006               Samaritan Inn gave man a view of a better life
  February 26, 2006         Lynne Sipiora:  Do They Deserve It?
  February 7, 2006           Program Brings Care to Shelter
  July 8, 2005                  Fox 4 News Report: Friends of the Inn