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In January, First Command Educational Foundation and Samaritan House awarded scholarships to four Samaritan House residents, Bradley, Danny V., Donna and Steven C., for use in the spring semester. Fields of study include education, chemical dependency counseling, business and cosmetology. |
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The 2008 annual report has been published. If you are interested in receiving a copy, please contact Diana Menchaca (817.332.6410, x195 or dmenchaca@samaritanhouse.org). |
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This second-semester senior from TCU will intern at Samaritan House this spring. Stephanie, a Spanish and Political Science major from Chicago, will tutor and mentor a teenager in The Villages and will also explore ways Samaritan House can improve outreach into the Hispanic community. She will also manage our fourth year of participation in the Rotary STARS program. |
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By reducing homelessness, substance abuse, crime, new HIV infections, and the demand for publicly funded medical care, Samaritan House makes Fort Worth a better place for everyone! |
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Samaritan House News November 2008 |
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| Letter from the President
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Steve Dutton |
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In recent years and months, we've talked a lot about growth at Samaritan House. We've grown in size dramatically, but there's a different kind of growth taking place here these days.
First, there's the growth of our famous Joe's Run, which has recently added a 10K, as well as welcoming RadioShack as a Title Sponsor. Check out more below. We've also grown our Hope Works resident employment program with our new |
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| partnership with Z's Café at the Community Arts Center. Read about how ten residents will be put to work by this exciting new project. |
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| We're always pleased to share stories of hope and generosity, and December offered us plenty of material. Feel your heart grow three sizes as you read about how a local church gave the Samaritan House family a holiday to remember. |
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| Catch Some Z’s (Café, that is) with Sam House! |
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| No post-holiday doldrums at Samaritan House! Staff and residents are scrambling to take advantage of a unique opportunity that came our way in December, when Jody Ulich, Executive Director of the Community Arts Center, asked Steve Dutton if Samaritan House would be interested in taking over the operation of the center’s café. Never one to let an opportunity slip away, Steve quickly assembled a team to turn a good idea into reality. The result: ten new jobs for residents, and the fulfillment of a long-time dream of the Hope Works staff. |
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| Z’s Café will have its Grand Opening on Wednesday, February 13, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. The event will be open to the public and will coincide with the openings of several exhibitions in CAC’s galleries. Come prepared to enjoy good food and to celebrate this new beginning for ten of our residents. Resident George Miller, whose décor provided the elegant setting for the Out of the Box luncheon, will design the decorations. |
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 Janet Capua
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| Teamwork is the key element in this project. Janet and Carlo Capua, Fort Worth caterers who have collaborated with Samaritan House on other projects, will manage the daily operation of the café, with accounting support from James Askey, CFO of Samaritan House. Besides her solid professional credentials, Janet brings great enthusiasm to the project. "This is something I’ve dreamed of since I was nine years old,” she says. "And it involves all the things that are most important to me: food, art and helping people.” |
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| Hope Works staff recruited and trained ten residents to prepare and serve Janet’s delicious offerings. Each participating resident now has a food handler’s license and – equally important – a mentor who will help him or her navigate the process of re-entering the world of work. Tammy Baca, a Transition Specialist for the Fort Worth Independent School District, conducted a training session for the mentors. |
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 Z’s Café Staff
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| "Working again means freedom, independence and one step forward to getting back on my feet,” says Judy. "It’s a way to build self-confidence and self-worth,” adds Beau. And Tony comments, "It proves that I’m capable of being a productive member of society again.” |
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| Since its inception in 2006, Hope Works has helped many residents seek employment. Z’s Café represents a culmination of this dream. Janet and Carlo Capua, already enthusiastic supporters of Samaritan House, are excited about the opportunity to work with our residents and are able to accommodate their needs. The café allows for a range of skills and interests. |
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| Regular hours of operation for the café will be 10:00-2:00, Monday through Saturday. Light breakfast, good coffee and snacks will be available during the morning hours. Lunch offerings will include soups, sandwiches, salads and one daily special. Watch our web site for menus. The café opened for business with its regular hours on the 30th of January, with the Grand Opening scheduled for February 13. |
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Z’s Café
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| Z’s Café, in the Community Arts Center in the heart of the cultural district, is a short hop from downtown or the Near Southside. We hope you’ll stop by after work on the 13th for the Grand Opening – after that, you may decide to become a regular! |
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| The Community Arts Center is located at the corner of Lancaster and Gendy, across the street from the Amon Carter Museum and next door to the Will Rogers Coliseum. Scott Theater and Sanders Theater are both housed in this building, along with five art galleries. For more information, please contact Sarah Deats (817.332.6410, x 177, or sdeats@samaritanhouse.org). |
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| SEE JOE GROW:10K Added to Joe’s Run |
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| Joe’s Run may be 12 years old, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing new about it. This year there are two exciting developments. A 10K run will be added to the traditional 5K race; and RadioShack, our new presenting sponsor, will help promote Joe’s Run by linking it to the Cowtown RadioShack 10K in a two-race series. |
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| The idea for the 10K originated in the volunteer committee that organizes the event, with the goal of attracting a whole new crop of runners. The shift also will be instrumental in eventually "growing” the run to the 5000-participant level. |
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| RadioShack’s participation is another major step up for the event. Beyond their generous financial support, they are also working to strengthen both Joe’s Run and the Cowtown Marathon by creating a Corporate Championship. Corporate teams who participate in both races will compete for the best overall time. |
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| Rick Isaminger, Family Health and Education Coordinator and an avid runner, has organized a training group for residents and staff who will participate in Joe’s Run this year. Anyone interested in Samaritan House and Joe’s Run is invited to join the group. Contact Rick at 817.332.6410, x179 or risaminger@samaritanhouse.org for details. |
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| You may register for this year’s event online at www.joes-run.com by clicking on the "Registration” button. Or you can print out the brochure at the bottom of the home page and mail it to Samaritan House, 929 Hemphill, Fort Worth, Texas 76104. For team registration, click on the "Team Registration” button, print out that form and mail it to the same address. |
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| Joe’s Run takes place on March 28. Full details are available on the web site or by calling our hotline (817.424.8838). We hope to see you there! |
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| SCC Volunteers Put on a Christmas to Remember
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| The magic of Christmas was abundant and tangible at Samaritan House this year, thanks to Southside City Church and its volunteers, who devoted 12 days to making the holidays warm and full of affection. |
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| The following story was written by Tony, editor of the resident newsletter, The Squawking Parrot, after Southside City Church completed its Twelve Days of Christmas project at Samaritan House. On each of the 12 days, SCC volunteers planned and executed a different surprise for the residents, including putting up and filling a stocking on each resident’s door, special entertainment and other festive touches. |
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| Samaritan House received an email from SCC’s Michele Heffner just after the holidays, thanking the agency for the opportunity to share this experience with the residents. Michele reported that many of the volunteers were moved to tears by the response of the residents, who clearly had deep appreciation for the generous and caring spirit of the Southside City Church volunteers. |
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12 Days of Christmas Finale
by Tony
reprinted by permission of The Squawking Parrot |
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| Wow! First they were stuffing stockings. Then, in between that, the movie "Elf.” What more could Southside City Church do for us? |
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| Well, on Christmas evening, I came back to Samaritan House just in time to see the dining room transformed into a spectacular event! There were poinsettias on the tables, which were arranged in a U-shape. The presents, which were many, sat on the covered air hockey and pool tables, and the desserts were already laid out buffet-style. |
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| The aroma of the ham, sausage and other foods penetrated the room. As people filed in and were seated and greeted, Bobby from Southside City Church and Dean were among several people taking pictures of the festivities. Southside City Church went all out this time, and the joy of giving was in the air! |
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| After dinner, Santa came in to call out the names of the residents, while his elf and other helpers passed out the presents. The residents felt that each gift was specifically bought and wrapped with them in mind. For many of the residents, no one had ever paid that much attention to them at Christmas. |
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| Darrell Auvenshine of SCC gave special thanks to Michele Heffner, Santa and his helpers. Christy read a poem of thanks to Southside City Church, and Jerry gave a special word of thanks as well. Everyone attending the dinner received gifts, and those who were not there had their gifts placed in their rooms. It was an amazing night! |
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| I asked some of the residents their opinion of the Christmas Dinner and here are some of the comments: |
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| Carlos: "It was very generous of them to spend their time. It lifted a lot of spirits!” |
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| Susan: "It was one of the best Christmases I’d ever had -- I haven’t had a Christmas like that since I was a child.” |
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| Joe: "More than anyone expected! The best Christmas Samaritan House has ever had since I’ve been living here!” |
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| What better way to spend these winter days than sipping some coffee and enjoying a tasty treat at Z's café! And of course, you'll want to run off those extra calories by taking part in Joe's Run, or perhaps by volunteering within the comfort of the Samaritan House community. |
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| Either way, you’ll feel better for the effort! |
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