The Good Samaritans Ministry helps families in crisis by stabilizing volatile situations to allow time for planning lasting solutions. By being accessible and focused on immediate needs, we give hope in crisis.

The mission of Good Sams is to provide immediate financial assistance to those experiencing dire circumstances, while connecting them to agencies that can provide longer-term assistance. Our offices are open Monday through Friday and we are available to clients five days a week and provide a variety of services.

 

1. Good Sams connects those in need with emergency and specialty services, including food, diapers and baby formula, housing, utilities, medical, dental, legal
   assistance, gasoline, home repair, counseling services and more. In August, a school supplies program provides comprehensive supplies for needy children. In November, Thanksgiving food baskets are distributed with an emphasis on the elderly and those on a fixed income.  The Ministry partners with St. Tammany Project Christmas to help provide a Merry Christmas to hundreds of children and elderly in East St. Tammany Parish.

T he assistance we provide is focused on breaking the cycle of dependency by helping individuals to regain financial self-sufficiency. Those seeking appointments go through a formal screening process followed by an interview with a counselor who evaluates and verifies need, income, identity, and expenses before a decision is made to provide assistance. 

Sometimes, a check is not the answer, and for such instances we turn to our network of professionals to donate their services including dental, legal, home repair, prescription consulting and mental health counseling. We are continuing to recruit and expand our volunteer professional services progra m, giving area professionals the opportunity to serve screened Good Sams clients with validated needs.

We have a strong network of case management charities to lean on as necessary, who provide services in debt counseling, shelters, procurement of government services, or legal issues. We collaborate with key charitable organizations including United Way, Catholic Charities, the Commission on Families, and the St. Tammany Coalition for the Homeless.