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NEWS BRIEFS

Literacy Program Launches

The new Samaritan House literacy program launches this month, under the direction of Rick Isaminger, Family Health and Education Coordinator. Sam House clients will use this program to improve their reading and writing skills, another step along the path to independence.

Z’s Celebrates

On Monday, February 15 Z's Café celebrated its one-year anniversary with a reception and buffet. Z's sumptuous spread attracted throngs of well-wishers to the café. Sales of Z's hand-made chocolates for Valentine's Day produced a $100 donation for the Tarrant Area Food Bank. Samaritan House residents who work at Z's had a busy night on their hands.

Come Tour with Us

March SamariTours are scheduled for 5:30 on the evening of the 9th and 11:45 a.m. on the 25th. These one-hour information sessions include life stories told by residents, a tour of the facilities, and an opportunity to ask questions about the agency’s programs. Lunch is provided on the 25th. Visitors are often surprised to hear about positive life changes made possible by Samaritan House. For reservations and information, please contact 817.332.6410, x195 or rsvp@samaritanhouse.org


	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!

Samaritan House News March 2010

Letter from the President

Bright Outlook for 13th Annual Joe's Run

Stars of Joe's Run: Our Volunteers

Accounting for All at Sam House

Letter from the President

Steve Dutton

There's a Joe's Run buzz in the air at Samaritan House. It's the time of year when volunteers scurry around with stacks of t-shirts and the Youngman Family Room fills up with goody bags for the runners. Registrations pour in via the web and regular mail. We're reminded once again how crucial volunteers are to fulfilling and sustaining the mission of our agency. It's always inspiring to see the extra effort put in not only by volunteers, but also by staff and residents, to make Joe's Run - and Samaritan House - a success.

Bright Outlook for 13^th Annual Joe's Run

It appears that Mother Nature will be more cooperative for the 13th Annual Joe's Run on March 27 this year. Those who ran or volunteered last year will remember braving extreme cold and damp, but this year the Old Farmer’s Almanac is forecasting fair weather and a turn toward spring for that day. We anticipate record turnout for the 10K run and the 5K walk/run. Registration begins at 7:00 a.m. in the Samaritan House parking lot, 929 Hemphill, with the 10K run taking off from Magnolia Green at 8:00, followed by the 5K at 8:30.

Registration is available online at www.joes-run.com or by mail (Joe's Run, 929 Hemphill, Fort Worth 76104) or at Samaritan House on the morning of the run. Team registration forms can be downloaded and mailed. Packet pick-up will take place at Samaritan House Wednesday through Friday before the race.

On the morning of the race Magnolia Green will be a beehive of activity, with 14 food booths operated by local restaurants, including Chadra, Lili’s Bistro, Padrino Foods, Starbuck’s, Yucatan Taco Stand and Z's Café. Brightroom will be our on-course photographers, and chip-timing will be by Chrono-Track, the latest in race technology.

Early Morning Before the Race

Festivities will continue after the race. Our distinctive hand-carved parrot awards will be presented at a ceremony on Magnolia Green, and Yucatan Taco Stand will host an after-party for runners and volunteers starting at approximately 10:30, with half-price margaritas and free chips and salsa. Fort Worth Sings for Haiti, a music festival to aid Haiti recovery, will take place shortly thereafter at Magnolia Green, so we encourage everyone to come early and stay late.

As always, run organizers work to assure the health and safety of runners and spectators. Baylor-All Saints Medical Center will provide medical services for the race course and for home base at Magnolia Green. In addition, an exercise specialist will conduct a Dynamic Warm-up program before the races. A massage therapist will provide massage for runners and volunteers.

2009 Joe's Run Winners

Joe’s Run would not be possible without our community sponsors. Going beyond generous financial support, The Shack (formerly known as RadioShack) our presenting sponsor, also works to strengthen both Joe's Run and the Cowtown RadioShack 10K by sponsoring a Corporate Championship. Corporate teams who participate in both races compete for the best overall time. Other sponsors include Walgreens, Alcon, Bates Container, Recept, JPS, Colonial Savings, Southside Bank, XTO Energy and many other civic-minded businesses.

There are volunteer opportunities still available for the day of the run and also for activities such as stuffing goodie bags, folding t-shirts and staffing packet pick-up tables. Please contact Connie Anderson, volunteer coordinator for the event, at 817.744.8450 or Connie62@sbcglobal.net, if you would like to become part of this exciting event.

Joe's Run 2009 Off and Running

We encourage everyone to run, walk, volunteer, or just come out and meet Joe the Parrot and help him cheer the runners on. It’s a chance to have a good time for a good cause, supporting the programs of Samaritan House.

Stars of Joe's Run: Our Volunteers

Running 10 kilometers on race day may take a lot of effort, but there’s another large group of folks who get a real workout in the weeks before Joe’s Run and on race day itself. Two hundred volunteers give their time and use their skills each year to make Joe’s Run a success. Volunteers do everything from serving as corner marshals to handing out trophies to cleaning up Magnolia Green after the event

Volunteer Coordinator Connie Anderson

The hardest and most important volunteer job at Joe’s Run is that of the Volunteer Coordinator. Finding all the other volunteers, placing them appropriately, training them and taking care of the many details, questions and last-minute situations that come up during the process of organizing and presenting an event of this size requires an exceptional person with the commitment and the expertise to manage a large group of workers. This year Connie Anderson will take over the responsibility of serving as Volunteer Coordinator from Alison Moreland, who served in that capacity for eight years.

Connie moved to Fort Worth in 1968, when a man said, “Marry me and take Texas too.” She adds, “But now it’s Texas by choice.” She has worked in the financial industry for over 20 years and is presently employed by TeakTree Capital. After being involved with Joe’s Run for the past six years and serving last year as Co-coordinator with Alison, Connie is ready to take on the daunting task of seeing this large volunteer operation come together. One innovation she and Alison have created is working with church groups to supply large numbers of volunteers, rather than having to find each person separately.

"I think this is an absolutely wonderful organization. All the funds go back to it to help the residents, and I think that's special. This organization also helps the development of the Near Southside and raises awareness of the AIDS epidemic," Connie says in explaining why she chooses to devote a huge chunk of time to Joe’s Run. The feeling is mutual – Samaritan House wouldn’t be able to do all that it does without the support of volunteers like Connie.

Nyla Langford

Another key volunteer for this year’s event is Nyla Langford, a senior at TCU and manager of the race day food court on Magnolia Green. Nyla recruited all the restaurants who will have food booths on the day of the race, and will coordinate their activities on the big day. Nyla took over these responsibilities from Dominique Van Beest, now a TCU graduate. An outstanding scholar and active collegiate citizen, Nyla is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and was Head Delegate to the Model UN Conference in Washington DC last fall.

This year’s contingent of 14 food booths includes such local favorites as Chadra, Lili’s Bistro, Padrino Foods, Starbuck’s, Yucatan Taco Stand and Z’s Café. Runners and volunteers will have a wide variety of delicious offerings, all at no charge, to replenish their energy throughout the morning.

Gina Messamer, another TCU graduate, has been involved with Joe’s Run for several years. She got to know Samaritan House as an intern and subsequently became involved with the run. Her responsibilities include securing donated items for the runners’ goody bags. She also participates as a runner.	Gina Messamer
We hope to see all of you at the 13th Annual Joe’s Run. And when you’re out there on the course, running or cheering, please give an extra cheer to the 200 volunteers who make this event possible.

Accounting for All at Sam House

Tom Church

Tom Church, the Samaritan House accountant, takes a lot of teasing about being the most popular person on campus on paydays, since he’s the one who hands out the paychecks. The truth is that he’s regarded by staff and residents as a giving person in many other ways too. Although his responsibilities center on keeping track of dollars and cents, Tom also concerns himself with the welfare of those around him. Within a few weeks of starting at Sam House in 2008, he was greeting all the residents by name and including a friendly chat with every check he handed out.

Tom was born and raised in Wellsville, NY, just south of Buffalo. In 1960 he joined the Air Force and was deployed with the Air Force Security Service outside Istanbul, Turkey. While there, he enjoyed opportunities to visit the ancient city of Ephesus, the Blue Mosque and the Topeki Palace, among other cultural treasures.

Toward the end of Tom’s tour of duty, he was transferred to Carswell Air Force Base in Fort Worth, a move that changed the course of his life. He recognized the educational and job opportunities afforded by the city, but the deciding factor was meeting Linda Lee. Tom and Linda celebrated their 45th anniversary on February 5 and have one son. Tom’s office is full of photos of his four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, some of whom bear a striking resemblance to their grandfather.

After working full-time at Acme Brick on his way through Texas Wesleyan, Tom worked at Bell Helicopter as supervisor of payroll for 4200 employees.

Tom sees Samaritan House as the perfect place to work, and says his favorite part is being able to mingle with the residents. “I like everything about being here: my work, my boss, learning about the residents,” he says. “I love the job and the people. I look at it as a mission.” If that mission means making Samaritan House a better and more enjoyable place to be, Tom meets that challenge every day.

There's always something interesting going on at Samaritan House, and always friendly people to meet, be they staff, residents or supporters of the agency. We invite you to come by and share the excitement of race day, or to serve as a volunteer. And if you haven't been to see us in a while, we encourage you to attend one of our SamariTours. Better yet, bring a few of your friends and help spread the word about the difference we're making in people's lives.