What began as an “experiment” back in 1993 has become a staple of the Brown County community as Good Samaritan Ministries is celebrating its 30th year of assisting residents in need who are fighting the battle with impoverishment.
“We wouldn’t still be doing what we’re doing if it wasn’t for the community believing in what we do, buying in to what we do,” said GSM Executive Director Leesa Stephens, who has been in her position for seven years.
Started and incorporated in 1993, GSM originally opened its doors at the Sunset Baptist Mission, near the Sunset Terrace Apartments, with Angelia Bostick as Executive Director for the first 23 years.
“When we first started we mainly did food and clothing out of the church,” Stephens said. “By 1994 it was clear with the people needing the services, we were outgrowing our area, and the building that is now on the corner where our Resale Store is was purchased.”
The need for the services Good Samaritan Ministries provides has only increased throughout the years.
“We’ve seen a 30 percent increase in the number of families coming in just from last year,” Stephens said. “Anybody that’s been to the grocery store knows that food is expensive, or if you’ve paid electric bills the last two summers.”
Regarding the origins of GSM, Stephens said, “Good Samaritan was an experiment because there had not been an organization like ours in Brown County. There had been churches with small food pantries and organizations helping with things like food, clothing and financial aid, but to have an organization that wasn’t solely supported by one church or business to have survived this long, that experiment paid off and we’re committed to this for the long haul.”
Good Samaritan Ministries, located at 305 Clark Street, contains a Food Pantry, Donation Center and Resale Store, among its numerous other services.
“There have been some building changes, but an anniversary isn’t about buildings and bricks and mortar, it’s about people,” Stephens said. “As we look at this anniversary we look at all the different people that we have served and all the people who have been able to volunteer and serve them. Every year we have hundreds of folks that volunteers their time, talents and resources and that’s one of the things we celebrate in our 30 years is we have been a place where people feel comfortable volunteering.”
Regarding the growth GSM has experienced in its 30 years, Stephens said, “What started as passing out food and clothes is a now a full blow food pantry that’s open five days a week. We started out with 23 or 24 volunteers a month to a full blown full pantry, and a resale store that’s also open five days a week that supports the operation of everything that we do. Those 23 or 24 volunteers a month has gone up to more than 200 people volunteering every month.”
Good Samaritan Ministries is an independent organization that is not associated any other non-profits.
“We’re not affiliated with any other organizations locally or nationally,” Stephens said. “We’re a stand alone organization. We are not supported by one church, we are interdenominational because poverty affects everyone. We’re called to help all those who struggle.”
During the month of October, GSM is welcoming those in the community to stop by its location for a closer look at the inner workings.
“Even though we are celebrating 30 years, many people in the community still don’t know where we are,” Stephens said. “We are hoping during the month of October the community will come by and see who we are and what we do. We’d by happy to talk to you, show you all the things going on, and we’d be happy to let you tour our resale store and donation center. This month of October is about inviting the community, the door’s open and we invite you to come by.”
Good Samaritan Ministries also wanted to extend its thanks to those who have contributed to the success and longevity of the organization and laid the foundation for greater contributions in the future.
“We’re looking forward to the next 30 years and want to thank everyone in Brown County who has ever volunteered, served on our board or supported either financially or with donations,” Stephens said. “We’re also celebrating the partnerships that have made these 30 years possible. We don’t exist in a vacuum and we want to give a shout out to all the groups who have helped us reach this milestone.”
Good Samaritan Ministries is currently in the midst of Tackle Hunger October, the annual food drive in which items are gathered for the Christmas boxes that will be distributed in December.
Brown County comes together to provide food for the less fortunate during the holiday season. Food is collected at a variety of locations across the county this month which will be distributed during the month of December.
Churches, businesses, schools, civic organizations and other groups are assigned a specific item that would be used to prepare a traditional Christmas dinner. These items are collected and used to pack Christmas boxes that are distributed in December to all pantry clients.
Participating in the food drive this year are:
- Brownwood Elementary Schools collecting green beans
- Other County Elementary Schools collecting mushroom soup
- Middle Schools collecting cornbread mix
- Business community collecting stuffing mix and canned fruit
- Colleges and University collecting boxes of Jello
- Churches collecting cake mix and frosting, and canned sweet potatoes
- High School collecting canned corn and peas
GSM is estimating 900 boxes will be distributed this holiday season and the deadline for collecting is Friday, Nov. 3.
“We’re doing this month what we say we’ve done for 30 years,” Stephens said. “We partnered with law enforcement and the chamber of commerce for the National Night Out tuna drive, we’re partnering with area schools, churches and businesses for Tackle Hunger month, and we’ll be partnering in November to get the Christmas boxes packed. We don’t just have a mission statement on the wall that we don’t believe in, we are actively doing what we say we’re doing and that’s to help those in Brown County who struggle with the effects of poverty.”
