Sinclairville’s Samaritan House Struggles To Keep Up With Area Need

October 24, 2011

By Sharon Turano (sturano@post-journal.com) , The Post-Journal

SINCLAIRVILLE - With 17,000 families having incomes below the poverty level in Chautauqua County, volunteers at Sinclairville's Samaritan House have been kept busy.

"We've done nothing but grow in eight years," she said.

"People need more than we can give," said Maureen Schafer, director, adding she strives to help some make a choice to rise above the poverty level, as some coming have a "curse of living in generational poverty." She said they may have grown up living in poverty, meaning that is all they know and not having skills or knowledge to rise above their circumstances. She said that could lead to people becoming comfortable with living in poverty. With bills becoming higher due to the economy, she said, living that way has become more difficult for those on fixed incomes.

Ms. Schafer said others who have lost jobs or are single parents taking care of families have also been seen more.

"There's just not enough to make ends meet," she said.

The Samaritan House began eight years ago, taking whatever donations come in to offer to others. Although donations are suggested, the service provides whatever is needed to people.

"It's something I can't not do," she said, adding that opening the centers were "a call from the Lord."

"There have been more and more families that have needed our help," she said. Ms. Schafer said there are agencies in the northern portion and southern portions of the county that serve people, leaving a void in the center, with those residents unable to get to other places as they may not have vehicles.

Located in the center of the county, she said the agency serves families from both Dunkirk and Jamestown.

Samaritan House provides clothing and household goods at low-cost through donations and volunteers from 2 to 6 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays in Sinclairville and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday to Friday in Dunkirk, where it also offers English and reading music classes.

Seeking its nonprofit status, it opened in 2004 in Sinclairville, with staff wanting to "be a helping hand" to those in need of household goods, furniture, appliances and clothing, reports the agency's website. On an average day, it reports that more than 300 clothing articles leave the building. Requests for appliances and furniture are "never-ending," the website states.

The agency accepts bagged clothing donations anytime in its parking-lot shed and takes household goods when it is open or by appointment.