Samaritan House News August 2007

More Than Just Court Vision
Hope Takes On Many Forms
Hoop It Up For Life

More Than Just Court Vision
Clarence Moore, a sales consultant for ASG Security, has been an active volunteer with Samaritan House for several years. He has helped out at the annual Run to Joe’s and Casino Night events for some time, but this year he felt compelled to jump in with both feet.

“Last fall I was approached by a staff member during a lunch meeting and given some staggering statistics about the face of AIDS in America,” says Moore. “That face is now a young black woman between the ages of 18 and 34. It was clear that AIDS, and the related health and social stigmas, are becoming a major concern for the black community.”

Moore felt compelled to help spread the message about the effects of HIV further throughout the community. In speaking with Commissioner Roy Brooks, a personal friend and vocal community leader, he agreed to help form an event planning committee made up of key community members.

Currently, Moore serves as the event chairman for Hoops ‘n Harmony, a community education and fundraising event centered around a basketball tournament, with co-chair Tonya Veasey. Together they have recruited a capable committee of volunteers from across the business community.

The primary goal of Hoops ‘n Harmony is to raise awareness about high-risk behavior and HIV-related services that are available. Special attention will be paid to reaching the younger members of the community; however, the tournament is open to everyone in the Fort Worth area who might have an interest in basketball. The day-long event, which will be held in the Fort Worth Convention Center on Saturday, September 8th starting at 9AM, includes a 3-on-3 basketball tournament, a health fair, and an evening program featuring special guest speakers and musical acts and emceed by K104.

Besides reaching out to the Fort Worth community, Hoops ‘n Harmony also will raise money to support the life-giving services provided to Samaritan House’s hundreds of residents.

Asked why he chooses to support Samaritan House in particular, Moore is candid. “They support the family as a unit,” he says, “while dealing with the AIDS virus that can be a death sentence without the education and support that the Samaritan House staff provides.”

Moore also issues a challenge to others in the community who have not yet become active in the struggle against the effects of HIV. “Ask yourself what you would do, or where you would turn, if AIDS was diagnosed in your family? We volunteer in the community to make a difference in people’s lives. I cannot imagine a larger contribution than that of saving people’s lives from something as devastating as the AIDS virus.”

For more information about Hoops ‘n Harmony, or to volunteer or register for the tournament, please click here. You may also reach Aaron Siegel, event Coordinator, at (817) 332-6410, ext. 165.

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Hope Takes On Many Forms
If you have been following the progress of Samaritan House’s Harvest of Hope Garden through our previous issues, you already know that the garden was built and planted this spring with volunteer labor and is already producing a bumper crop of organic vegetables. But Harvest of Hope is yielding much more that a host of fruits, vegetables and spices from the fertile soil. It has become a necessary therapeutic retreat for Greg, the House’s garden supervisor.

“The garden has been my solace and my passion,” says Greg. “I hope that the example I set working will inspire others to look beyond an HIV or AIDS diagnosis and know that life is still waiting beyond Samaritan House. Most important, I hope the garden becomes an example of community gardening and inspires our community to share in the process.”

The abundance of produce represents many things: hope, life, and the benefit of patience and care for something as fragile as the lives of Samaritan House residents themselves. The bountiful harvest is a concrete reminder to all at Samaritan House that their mission is one of health, longevity and promise for the future.

Greg is hopeful that, as temperatures drop this fall and as people get to enjoy the results of his hard work first-hand, they too will be energized to jump in and participate. “It's often difficult during the summer months to get folks here outside in the Texas heat,” Greg admits, though he remains committed to the success of the garden, regardless of the weather.
Samaritan House’s landscaping service, an enterprise of the Hope Works back-to-work program for residents and an offshoot of the garden project, is also overseen by Greg. The landscaping business, which employs Samaritan House residents, provides a full range of landscaping services – from basic lawn maintenance to landscape design – to customers in the general public. This resident-run business continues to grow, much like the tomato vines and plump strawberries in the garden. Greg observes that without the hard work and enthusiasm of residents like Kyle and Michael, the program would hardly be able to keep up with demand.

Plans for produce from the garden’s first growing season include special offerings in Samaritan House’s dining hall, as well as marketing vegetables to local restaurants. Harvest of Hope seeks not only to help residents develop valuable skills they may take out into the community, but also to show tangible results for their hard work and commitment to life. After all, where there is life, there is hope, and if Greg has any say about it, this hope will be shared far and wide for years to come.

For more information about the Harvest of Hope garden, or to arrange for a bid on lawn care and landscaping work, please call 817.332.6410, x108.

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Hoop It Up For Life
Grab your best court shoes and polish up your jump shot, because it’s time to bring your best game to the Fort Worth Convention Center on Saturday, September 8th. If you have what it takes, you might just survive Samaritan House’s first annual Hoops ‘n Harmony event to become kings – or queens – of the court.

Registration has begun for Hoops ’n Harmony, Samaritan House’s 3-on-3 community basketball tournament, which will be accompanied by a health fair, special guest speakers and a concert following the double-elimination tourney. The event is open to the public, and thousands are expected to attend. Teams of three interested in competing should register here online.

Hoops ‘n Harmony is an effort to reach out and educate the general public, with particular emphasis on the African-American community, which has been disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS in recent years. Event coordinator Aaron Siegel envisions this as a fun way to bring community members together to gain new knowledge, and hopefully to share new strategies for prevention and risk reduction.

Sixty age-bracketed teams will compete throughout the day, with adults and children ages eight and up competing in different categories. A health fair, offering free HIV testing and information about other health issues of particular concern to the African-American community, will run concurrently in the space adjacent to the basketball courts.
Beginning at 6:15 p.m., Sam Putney, a disc jockey for K104 FM, will host the music portion of the program, which will feature Linny Nance, American Idol’s Akron Watson, Pauline Taylor Hunt and numerous other performers.

The broad base of support for this event is indicated by the diverse team of supporters who have helped make it possible. Local church leaders, community activists, health care providers and County Commissioner Roy Brooks have joined forces to spread the word throughout the Fort Worth area. For more information about the Hoops ‘n Harmony schedule, or to register for the basketball tournament, click here or call 817-332-6410, ext 165.

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