Greetings Neighbors,

As our history has evolved over the years, there has been one constant that has defined who we are-- "A Safe Place.” In recent months, we have taken additional steps to heighten our awareness -- from removing overgrown shrubbery to enhancing lighting around campus during the fall and winter months. Recent events locally and statewide led us to implement enhanced safety measures such the addition of new security cameras and in the last month the installation of a new crisis alert system. 

We are now in our fifth month of hosting community-wide safety meetings which include the SAPD, SAISD police, SA Authority Housing (Opportunity Homes Police), Cassiano Homes Residents Association and representatives from our local schools, and others committed to the safety and protection of our neighbors. We value the safety and well-being of our clients, staff, and community and want you to know that we are doing everything possible to be as prepared as we can be, to handle any emergency.

Thank you, donors, for supporting these efforts to ensure we continue to do the good work here that we have been doing for over 70 years.  

Simon

We are excited to announce that both of our camps (1) Camp Good Sam Jr (4-5 year-olds) and (2) Camp Good Sam (k-12) are all full on both campuses in SA and Brownsville. The camps are five weeks, starting June 21 and ending July 20.

We will have 200 students attending each of these programs 200 students in SA and 200 in Brownsville for a total of 400 students served. We are also excited to announce that we will have 150 students attending Camp Capers from July 24th to July 28th.

This summer will be one to remember!

Aldo Garcia - Data Entry Specialist Brownsville

Raquel Oviedo - EHS Specialist

Vanessa Martin - Manager of Marketing and Communications

Yolanda Vazquez Barajas - Youth Case Manager

Michelle Carranza - CDS Data Entry Specialist

Good Samaritan Community Services, La Escuelita Early Learning Program, is providing childcare tuition scholarships to support families with childcare tuition assistance as they commit to improving their lives through work, school, or job training. The program has been able to provide a scholarship for childcare tuition for a limited period (up to 90 days), for families who qualify. Eligibility was determined based on a family’s personal situation and financial need as well as:

• Proven consistency in payment, or partial payments, showing efforts towards financial responsibility towards childcare tuition payments
• Regular daily attendance in the program
• Following the guidelines/procedures as specified in the Good Samaritan Community Services Early Childhood Program Parent Handbook. 
• Lastly, the Childcare Scholarship is intended for parents paying full tuition and not currently enrolled in a Child Care Subsidy program. 

Through Child Care Relief Funds 2022, we have provided 12 families with Childcare Tuition Scholarships for a period of three months. Families tell us how much this assistance has helped with tuition costs by allowing them to maintain expenses at home. Children under this scholarship attend consistently and are thriving with early learning experiences at our center.  

This year’s College and Career Readiness (CCR) End of Year Celebration was hosted at San Antonio Food Bank on Friday, May 26, 2023. This event was dedicated to celebrating the achievements of our 35 KIPP, Kennedy and Lanier High School graduates. Students worked all year alongside our CCR staff through one on one advising preliminary scholarship and grant awards to advising students totals $811,519.60.

Please click on the slideshow to see our proud graduates! 

We are happy to announce this year’s Good Samaritan Ambassador – Isaac Garza. Established in 2013, with the support of the Ghost Town Survivors (GTS) and Barrio Girls, the Good Samaritan Ambassador Award’s vision is to recognize and support the financial needs of full-time college students who serve their neighbors, and empower them to continue their education. Isaac Garza has been a client at Good Samaritan since he was in preschool he will be pursuing a career in Computer Science at UTSA this fall.  

We are also extremely excited to announce this year’s Helen Miller and Everett H. Jones Scholars Ambassador – Alexa Amador Everett H. Jones was the 4th Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of West Texas, from 1943 until 1969. In 1940 he married Helen Miller Cameron. Under his leadership as Rector of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, St. Mark’s Community House, the ministry that would become Good Samaritan Community Services began in 1939 in downtown San Antonio; under his leadership as Bishop of the Diocese of West Texas it became an agency of the diocese in 1951: Good Samaritan Center.

The Bishop spoke of GSCS as one of the accomplishments of which he was most proud, representing the love of God as “a present, active, reality.” The Helen Miller and Everett H. Jones Scholars Ambassador was created in 2011 to recognize and support full time college students in financial need, who serve their neighbors in the generous spirit of Helen Miller and Everett H. Jones. Alexa Amador is an active Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) Officer and will be attending Texas A&M College Station this fall.