A Brief History of Good Samaritans of Garland

Good Samaritans of Garland, Inc. was founded by the Ministerial Alliance of Garland in 1982, incorporated and opened in 1983. The purpose of the agency was to relieve some of the pressures on churches who were receiving numerous requests for assistance, and to place the assistance in a centralized agency where all churches could send those seeking help. Since that time it has grown to encompass all low to moderately low income families and those referred by other agencies. Good Samaritans at no time refuses service to anyone based on race, creed, color, religious affiliation, gender, disability, or age.

The mission of Good Samaritans is to prevent homelessness and hunger in the City of Garland and the Garland Independent School District. Emphasis is placed first on providing sufficient food for an individual or family. Other services include rental assistance, utility assistance, and referrals to other agencies and organizations that can assist in areas not available at Good Samaritans.

Good Samaritans has, in the past few years, taken on projects to further benefit the community. It was the organizations responsible for spearheading the Food for Families program in this geographic area of the Metroplex, a program that assists people in five cities and brings three agencies together. Good Samaritans is the only agency in Garland to have taken advantage of the Kraft Freezer Program in cooperation with the North Texas Food Bank to provide five pound, fully cooked, nutritious meals to its clients.

In January of 2002, Good Samaritans was invited to participate in a program to relocate the residents of Walnut Villa, an apartment complex being condemned by the City. Because of the enthusiastic response by Good Samaritans and its volunteers, Good Sam was asked to administer all of the funds for this project, and to serve as the central agency for the residents of the complex seeking assistance. In addition to the relocation monetary assistance using HUD funds, Good Samaritans made sure each family had ample food to begin life in their new place of residence. Due to the way in which the Walnut Villa project was handled, Good Samaritans was asked by the Garland City Council and the Garland Housing Office to manage the relocation of persons residing in the Village of Eastgate apartment complex. The two-month project was managed by the Director, Kathleen West, and temporary employee, Imelda Gamez, both of whom had worked on the Walnut Villa project.

This again lead to a request by the City of Garland to aid families evacuated from their homes by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Once more Good Samaritans proved to be a vital resource in the community by locating housing, disbursing the monies to pay deposits, rents, and much more.

The most important accomplishment in any given day at Good Samaritans of Garland is giving to people without making them feel like they are receiving charity. Many of the staff and volunteers have been in the position of requiring assistance at one time or another, therefore our hearts are into each case we see. It is not unusual to gather the entire staff in an office to sing happy birthday to an elderly person who has no one with whom to share the birthday cake we give him or her. Hugs are a common, everyday occurrence, and we promote laughter and joy instead of tears and regrets. We truly love what we do and the people we are committed to serve.