Good Samaritans

The Good Samaritan Ministry (Good Sams)
                                                                                                                                                                 

The Good Samaritan Ministry (Good Sams) is a non-profit, non-denominational charity that serves the poor and those coping with emergencies in the Louisiana towns of Slidell, Alton, and Pearl River (population approximately 30,000 of a 242,000 parish population).  Established in 1993 as an outreach ministry of St. Luke the Evangelist Catholic Church, Good Sams has funded it's ministry primarily through tithing from St. Luke and St. Margaret Mary Catholic Churches, private donations and grant/fund-raising awards. With a staff of over one hundred five volunteers and donated office space, Good Sams allocates 100% of its budget to funding direct services to the needy. The mission of the Good Samaritan Ministry is to provide immediate financial assistance to those experiencing dire circumstances.  This assistance can stabilize a volatile situation to allow time for planning a lasting solution. These life-altering changes include re-entering the workforce, finding affordable housing, securing affordable life-giving medications or providing for children's daily needs. Our financial assistance steadies the crisis and our collaboration with social services partners allows us to educate clients on the available programs that can help them prevent the crisis in the future. We have fine tuned our services so that the help we do provide is constructive and supportive rather than merely a bandaid covering a larger problem.  We strive to provide our clients  with the tools they need to rise out of their crisis and  move  toward a more stable and functioning lifestyle. To that end we are developing a new "position" (unpaid of course) a "Resource" counselor-designed to give our clients more hands on help and support beyond what is initially provided in collaboration with social services partners.  We are blessed to live in a community that supports our ministry, however the significant need of the community is ever increasing.

One of the telling features of our ministry is the commitment of the volunteers who work with us daily, month after month, year after year.  We have volunteers who joined the ministry when we first opened for business nearly 30 years ago!  We love what we do and know we are on the right track, doing what God asks of us.  

Here are a few examples of responses from our client feedback questionnaire (a document we provide each client which serves as an assesment tool of our services)  From a client we helped with a light bill, “Words can’t real explain how much this made me feel about getting assistance with you all but I can really say that I really appreciate you guys so much …A warm feeling in my heart about the help and it made me feel that they actually have people that care, but the best part was being able to join you all with the opening prayer,”  and from another client we helped with rent “I really appreciate the aid I have received .  It helped me kinda get back on track with my every day stress level,” and this from a woman who was in a terrible place in her life,  “Got a lot more than I bargained for.  Was given a weekend in a motel while my son and I wait for admission into Family Promise program (a faith based shelter for families.)   Didn't ask for it but it was given just the same. Very blessed!)  And we feel blessed daily by these clients as they find relief from some of their burdens.
                           

Thank you for joining our mission to make our community a wonderful place to live for every family!  You can make your donation as a "one time" gift, a recurring weekly or monthly gift, or even donate in memory of someone dear to you.  

Gifts in memoriam:  Please give us the full name of the person FOR WHOM you are making your gift in the comment section of your donation.

God richly bless you for your support.

The Good Samaritan Ministry
910 Cross Gates Blvd
Slidell, Louisiana 70461
(985) 641-6421