September News 2009

Samaritan House
2009
Maintenance Needs

Inside the Building
General Cleanup throughout building

Upstairs
Back Hallway Ceiling: replace tiles
Shelving installed in office
Paint Prayer Room: (skilled painter please!)

Basement
Louvered windows - repair & replace
Front stairwell door framed in and hung/locking doorknob
2 windows replaced in block walls/wood sash
Paint Walls & Doors in meeting room
(skilled painter please!  )
Ceiling Tiles replaced in basement rooms
Furnace ductwork replaced with energy efficient ductwork

Outside the Building
Paint Block walls at ground level (finish it)
Wash Window Trim: (pressure washer needed)
Wash & Paint Window trim: All around
Screen Door Painted
Paint Front and side Railings & Steps (2010)



Funds are needed for the following projects:

**All windows replaced**
~Buy a window Campaign~

**Basement Block Walls
Repaired&Sealed & Drainage installed
!!! We have a bad flood-leakage problem !!!

**Kitchen Remodeled
Upgrade to Health Dept. Standards
**Washer & Dryer hooked up

**Build 2nd Floor across main room from balcony floor

**Removal of 10 Stained Glass Windows
Upon sale of windows, funds will be used for:
New energy efficient windows
One window is spoken for!



Many Thanks & Blessings go out to the workers that volunteer at Samaritan House!! Fredonia UMC Team, Busti Church of God Team, Mission Meadows Team, and Bryan Decker who, through Chautauqua Works, has helped out here and at the church for a month, Brian & Brett Roy, who take care of our yard work & snow removal, Della Downey, who sorts & does our laundry, Joyce Tolman, Wendy, Elaine, Tiffany & Billie Jean Best, Amy Scott, Christine Valella, & Della, who maintain the sorting rooms & restock the shelves & racks, Tom Mackinder, who maintains our furnaces, Larry Downey & Mike Harrar who stops by to help load & unload whenever we need help, and to the many unknown donors who give out of their abundance to help others, and to those who sow financial seed to keep this mission running and our building maintained are: Park Church, South Stockton Wayside Chapel, Gerry Free Church, South Ripley UMC, Gerry UMC, and the United Church of Christ Women’s Conference of WNY “Pennies for People Campaign” who donated $1,000 to 8 different ministries in WNY! from Pennies!!!
Thanks to those friends who cheer me on when I need it most!
Thanks be to God who called us to this mission and provides our every need!!

Book-bags for Kids will have been handed out by the time you read this. Thanks!! to Dollar Tree in Jamestown for donating many items that will bless many kids! And Thanks!! to those who leave items in the donation bins. All the book-bags have been donated and Della faithfully washes and repairs them to be filled in August. We will be handing some out in the Silver Creek area as well as our own school district.

Hygiene Drive will continue as we are on-call, to help with the families in the Silver Creek flood areas, as well as the families we help locally. Thank you for your donations!

Any donations for the Flood Relief areas of Chautauqua County can be dropped off at Samaritan House for transporting to North County.
Please call ahead to make sure someone is at the building for your donations to be accepted.
716-962-2246 or 640-6819

Thanks for Being His Hands and Feet!
Maureen Schafer, Director @ Samaritan House

Silver Creek Disaster Response

The results of our Faith Based Initiative meeting with Emergency First Responders at Silver Creek, 9/14/09:
Thank you for coming and caring so much for this community. Thank you to all of the partners I have worked with.
You are all amazing people. Our community is so blessed to have all of you. Paula Pichon

Volunteers: Groups are recommended but individuals are still welcomed. Your group should have one lead person who will communicate and organize your group. Groups should be from 5-8 people/1-lead person. Volunteers need to first report to the fire hall in Silver Creek, to complete paper work and get assignment. Your group will then get an assignment and hopefully a skilled volunteer to work with. You need to dress for chemical exposure, long pants, rubber boots, gloves, change of clothes, goggles. There are other volunteer opportunities but laborers are needed most at this time.
Your contact person at the fire hall is Troy Smith, 397-3152, or Bill Tucker 450-2842
Transportation: There is a need for transportation of volunteers around Silver Creek to various clean up sites. Any Church with a van and a driver, or gator's are needed to help get volunteers around Silver Creek. You can provide a van and driver or a van. Please contact the above two men if you can help with this need.
Donations: Please, No More Clothing. At this time we are in the clean up phase.
CCRM (Chautauqua County Rural Ministries) and Samaritan House are both accepting furniture donations toward the relief effort. Samaritan House has offered more storage in Dunkirk for furniture designated to this effort & will accept any donations for the Relief Effort to be transported to Silver Creek. CCRM 716-366-1787 or 450-6059 Samaritan House 716-962-2246 or 640-6819
Money donations and the following are most in need at this time. Money can be donated to the Red Cross and Salvation Army and earmarked for Western New York Relief efforts.
Items Needed:
Drop off Point is AM VETS - 234 Central Avenue for the following items:
(CCRM also stated that we would continue to accept personal care/hygiene donations, and would work with AMVETS and the Silver Creek pantry to distribute these items. We will also accept the new socks/underwear/undergarments noted below from anyone not looking to drive into the confusion of downtown Silver Creek.)
New Socks
New Bra's
New Undershirts
Hygiene Products
Church World Services is providing up to 1200 "flood buckets", which contain cleaning supplies supposed to be adequate for one room in a house.
Drop off Point is Silver Creek Fire Hall on Central Avenue for the following items:
Cleaning Supplies
Drinks/Water
Shovels
Wheel Barrels
Rubber Boots / gloves
Masks
Goggles
Tentative items: Volunteers will be fed at the Fireman's Exempt Club, and lodging will be provided for large group coming to volunteer.
Confirmed Items: All Human Service Agencies will be moving to the Our Lady of Mount Carmel School on Central Avenue, Silver Creek, on Sunday August 16th. Services are DSS, COI, OFA and Counseling services. They will be ready for services on Monday and lasting through the week.
Again Thank you all very much for your help this effort will be moving forward for some time, it is wonderful working with such dedicated people. Paula Pichon

August News

Samaritan House
2009
Maintenance Needs

Inside the Building
General Cleanup throughout building

Upstairs
Back Hallway Ceiling: replace tiles
Shelving installed in office
Paint Prayer Room: (skilled painter please!  )

Basement
Louvered windows - repair & replace
Front stairwell door framed in and hung/locking doorknob
2 windows replaced in block walls/wood sash
Paint Walls & Doors in meeting room
(skilled painter please!  )
Ceiling Tiles replaced in basement rooms
Furnace ductwork replaced with energy efficient ductwork

Outside the Building
Paint Block walls at ground level (finish it)
Wash Window Trim: (pressure washer needed)
Wash & Paint Window trim: All around
Screen Door Painted
Paint Front and side Railings & Steps (2010)



Funds are needed for the following projects:

**All windows replaced**
~Buy a window Campaign~

**Basement Block Walls
Repaired&Sealed & Drainage installed
!!! We have a bad flood-leakage problem !!!

**Kitchen Remodeled
Upgrade to Health Dept. Standards
**Washer & Dryer hooked up

**Build 2nd Floor across main room from balcony floor

**Removal of 10 Stained Glass Windows
Upon sale of windows, funds will be used for:
New energy efficient windows
One window is spoken for!



Many Thanks & Blessings go out to the workers that volunteer at Samaritan House!! Fredonia UMC Team, Busti Church of God Team, Mission Meadows Team, and Bryan Decker who, through Chautauqua Works, has helped out here and at the church for a month, Brian & Brett Roy, who take care of our yard work & snow removal, Della Downey, who sorts & does our laundry, Joyce Tolman, Wendy, Elaine, Tiffany & Billie Jean Best, Amy Scott, Christine Valella, & Della, who maintain the sorting rooms & restock the shelves & racks, Tom Mackinder, who maintains our furnaces, Larry Downey & Mike Harrar who stops by to help load & unload whenever we need help, and to the many unknown donors who give out of their abundance to help others, and to those who sow financial seed to keep this mission running and our building maintained are: Park Church, South Stockton Wayside Chapel, Gerry Free Church, South Ripley UMC, Gerry UMC, and the United Church of Christ Women’s Conference of WNY “Pennies for People Campaign” who donated $1,000 to 8 different ministries in WNY! from Pennies!!!
Thanks to those friends who cheer me on when I need it most!
Thanks be to God who called us to this mission and provides our every need!!

Book-bags for Kids will have been handed out by the time you read this. Thanks!! to Dollar Tree in Jamestown for donating many items that will bless many kids! And Thanks!! to those who leave items in the donation bins. All the book-bags have been donated and Della faithfully washes and repairs them to be filled in August. We will be handing some out in the Silver Creek area as well as our own school district.

Hygiene Drive will continue as we are on-call, to help with the families in the Silver Creek flood areas, as well as the families we help locally. Thank you for your donations!

Any donations for the Flood Relief areas of Chautauqua County can be dropped off at Samaritan House for transporting to North County.
Please call ahead to make sure someone is at the building for your donations to be accepted.
716-962-2246 or 640-6819

Thanks for Being His Hands and Feet!Maureen Schafer, Director @ Samaritan House

Samaritan House News

Furniture needs:
We have many calls for furniture coming into the office, if you know of any furniture or beds that can be donated, please bring them to Samaritan House. We also need these items in the north county branch of Samaritan House.
Sometimes people who are moving or replacing furniture don’t know what to do with the old when they bring in the new! Samaritan House is a great choice for these items, we make sure they get to people who need them. So, let folks know we are here to help them with their donations of furniture to get them to families in need of these items. J
Volunteers are always needed for sorting and cleaning.

~Hours Open~
Wednesday & Friday 2-6pm
Tuesday Workdays begin at 10:30am

We are looking forward to having work teams come to help with maintenance needs this year. When we get dates set we will let you know, if you’d like to take part in the projects we have lined up to do. A Maintenance Needs List is available if you’d like to see one call the office 962-2246 or email us @ info@samaritanhouse.us

Shoes for Haiti
A man who comes into Samaritan House several times a year, came in last week and asked about shoes. “How do you sell the shoes”, he asked. So we told him, “Shoes go in with your bag of clothes for a dollar, or a whole bag of shoes for a dollar donation”. Then he began to tell me a story of a woman in Florida who gathers things together to send to her people in Haiti. I immediately related to this woman, as he told the story of her gathering things together and carrying bags and boxes into their building to be sorted and cleaned and prepared for shipment. So, I said to Howard, “We’ve been looking for a way to send shoes to where they are needed! And we’d be glad to give the shoes for this lady to send to Haiti.” So we boxed and bagged shoes to fill Howard’s truck to go to Florida!

This is very typical of how God puts us together with others to help out in ways that we don’t even think about! I’m always thrilled, and know that I know, when the Lord does this that it was all His doing!

Galatians 2:10 (The Message)
6-10As for those who were considered important in the church, their reputation doesn't concern me. God isn't impressed with mere appearances, and neither am I. And of course these leaders were able to add nothing to the message I had been preaching. It was soon evident that God had entrusted me with the same message to the non-Jews as Peter had been preaching to the Jews. Recognizing that my calling had been given by God, James, Peter, and John—the pillars of the church—shook hands with me and Barnabas, assigning us to a ministry to the non-Jews, while they continued to be responsible for reaching out to the Jews. The only additional thing they asked was that we remember the poor, and I was already eager to do that.

I see Paul as a pretty practical guy, just like us. Let us take heed to his words of truth about having no reputation, walking in the calling God has called us to, preaching the good news and helping the poor.
God Bless you as we serve the Community together!
Maureen Schafer, Director @ Samaritan House
716-962-2246
info@samaritanhouse.us
www.samaritanhouse.us

Samaritan House News

What Lessons Have You Learned From the Homeless?

Ann Arbor has a lot of homeless people, but I can understand that. If I were homeless, I'd want to be in Ann Arbor too, because people here tend to be generous. There are many homeless people downtown, but there are also a number of freeway exit ramps or shopping center traffic light exits where they regularly stand. Of course, I cannot give every person money every time they ask when I'm walking downtown, or when I am at a ramp or traffic light. It feels rough to pass them by, but I just can't, especially since I lost my job last August.
Sometimes I will give something just because I happen to have an extra dollar that day or I am just in the mood. But sometimes it's stronger than that. Today was one of those days.
The light at the exit ramp was green and I drove on by, but the image of the man hunkered down in the cold with his sign, "Homeless and hungry -- please help" stuck in my mind. I've often passed that man but never given anything. I felt very strongly, though, that today God was telling me to go back to that man and give him something. I just finished a 5-week temporary job, so I have a little more money than usual. I had just come from the grocery and thought about giving him one of the boxes of cereal I had bought (about the only thing I bought one could eat without cooking). I kept driving toward home, but the farther I went, the more I knew God wasn't going to let it go... he was urging me to go back. So finally I turned around.
On the way back, it came to my mind that I had gotten a roll of quarters to wash the car. With all the salt on the roads, this is an important thing to do to keep your car from rusting out. I felt led to give the man the roll of quarters.
If I have time, and today I did, I prefer to talk to the people I give money to...ask them their name, hear a bit of their story. So I parked the car beyond the ramp and walked back to the man.
I said, "Hello."
He replied, "Hello," and before I could say anything else he quickly added, "You're a religious man, aren't you?" I was surprised that he came up with such an assessment so quickly... he hadn't even seen me coming.
"Yes I am," I replied. "But how did you know?"
He said, "I could tell by your spirit." Boy, that really made me feel good. Often I wonder there's any evidence visible of Christ living in my life; it was a great reassurance to hear this.
I asked him to tell me his story. His name is Victor, and he said his 60th birthday was this past Monday. He used to live in an apartment in a nearby town (same metro area), but his company closed the factory and moved the factory to Mexico. After that he was in the hospital twice with heart problems, one of them being a heart attack. Eventually his unemployment benefits ran out, so he couldn't afford the medical bills. That gave him a bad credit rating, so that created additional difficulties because he couldn't pay those bills. He is a veteran, and eventually his GI benefits ran out too.
Our church has a homeless ministry, and they have said that so many of the people who are homeless have become that way due to job loss or medical bills they cannot pay. Or, as in the case of this guy, both. He said to me, "Why can the American government give so much money to people all over the world, but not take care of us, its own citizens?" He was especially upset how little the government helps veterans. Many homeless people are also veterans. These people go fight for us in wars, and then they end up homeless later in life. Something is wrong with that picture.
Victor is a black man, and he told me a story of when he was growing up. Back then, he said, the white people called him 'ni**er' and he called them 'h*nky'. One day he did that in class, and got in trouble for it. When his dad found out, he took Victor to a trunk at home where some pictures were. He pulled out a couple of photographs from the 19th century, one of an American Indian woman and one of a white guy in a tall black hat and a big long, curled moustache. His father said, "See that man? He's your great-great-great grandfather. And this Indian is your ancestor too." His father continued, "Don't you ever judge a person by their appearance. You judge them by their character." Victor said it was a lesson he never forgot.
When I gave him the roll of quarters, he gave me a hearty hug. Before I left, a young Asian woman in an SUV opened up her window and gave him a beautiful red, heart-shaped box of chocolates. When I left, he hugged me again.
It is good to talk to homeless people. It keeps them from being just those beings on the street begging; when you hear their stories, you realize that it could be you on the street. Some people take the attitude that there are "legitimate" ways for homeless people to get help, and many of them are not getting the true help they need if you just give them money. For example, "If you give them money, they might just spend it on cigarettes and alcohol."
But I picked up a valuable attitude from my church: What they do with their money is between them and God; what I do with my money is between me and God. How do I know if they really need it for food or they are going to blow it or they're just moochers? If I had the fullest selfless love, I'd get involved in their lives and help them get on their feet. But I'm busy, and giving money and sometimes hearing their stories is something I can do that at least goes part way.
When I worked downtown, I used to eat lunch with a homeless guy there about once a week. I couldn't give him money all the time, but I shared my lunch with him as we talked. He was a Korean War veteran, and a schizophrenic (he told me so the first time I met him, and he did have some active conversations with invisible people when I was with him). He gave me this big long speech many times something about how the government ruined the value of money...I never did understand what he was talking about, as many times as I heard the rant and asked questions to try to understand, but I could tell he enjoyed the company. And he never asked me for money again, after that first time. Perhaps it works both ways: I was no longer just some person on the street who has money to hand out.
What life stories have you learned from talking to homeless people?
~~~
This account is from a blog I subscribe to, www.revelife.com Where do you see homeless people in Chautauqua County? Have you talked to them? Do you notice them? We have helped them through Samaritan House.
Just one of the many stories of the poor, or is it a catapult to move us to help? Think about it….

January 2009

Moving into the new year, we know the needs are great of families all over the country. Our main objective at Samaritan House is to help meet those needs with the donations that come in from donors who have a heart for giving a helping hand up. Requests for necessities have never been greater than they are now.
After all the hustle bustle of the holiday season there will still be families needing our help, so please remember that as you are thankful for what you have, there are families that still need your help.
I’ve noticed that after the first of the year comes along, donations decline. I believe we tend to think that we’ve given our “Christian-giving campaign” a good shot during the holiday time, but then we tend to forget that “one shot-giving” doesn’t last for most families struggling to pay bills. They still have to get through the tough western NY winter that doesn’t end December 25th.
Deuteronomy 15:7-9
When you happen on someone who's in trouble or needs help among your people with whom you live in this land that God, your God, is giving you, don't look the other way pretending you don't see him. Don't keep a tight grip on your purse. No. Look at him, open your purse, lend whatever and as much as he needs. Don't count the cost. Don't listen to that selfish voice saying, "It's almost the seventh year, the year of All-Debts-Are-Canceled," and turn aside and leave your needy neighbor in the lurch, refusing to help him. He'll call God's attention to you and your blatant sin.

The year of release.
This year of release typified the grace of the gospel, in which is proclaimed the acceptable year of the Lord; and by which we obtain the release of our debts, that is, the pardon of our sins. The law is spiritual, and lays restraints upon the thoughts of the heart. We mistake, if we think thoughts are free from God's knowledge and check. That is a wicked heart indeed, which raises evil thoughts from the good law of God, as theirs did, who, because God had obliged them to the charity of forgiving, denied the charity of giving. Those who would keep from the act of sin, must keep out of their minds the very thought of sin. It is a dreadful thing to have the cry of the poor justly against us. Grudge not a kindness to thy brother; distrust not the providence of God. What thou doest, do freely, for God loves a cheerful giver, 2Co 9:7. (De 15:12-18) BibleGateway.com
Please search your heart and ask yourself this question: “How do I respond when I see someone less fortunate than myself?” Do I say to myself, “why don’t they just get a job” or does compassion arise from my heart and say, “what can I do to make life better for this person? How can I be a part of helping this person? What can I do?”
You have to get to know someone before you can have an understanding of their situation.
Helping the poor is a hands-on ministry, reaching out means doing something. We need to put some action to what we believe.
Be a good listener, take action when we know it will be helping and not enabling. BE JESUS!! (after all, HE lives in us, so we need to reflect HIS character!)
It’s a huge step of Faith to reach out and BE JESUS to a world that’s failing around us, but let me encourage you in this, the rewards are great, try it and see!

Blessings for 2009!
Maureen Schafer, Dir. Samaritan House
716-962-2246
www.samaritanhouse.us

North County Branch

Extension of outreach site gives chance to be good Samaritan

By SHIRLEY IBACH
POSTED: December 14, 2008

The Rev. Amy FitzGerald sets up the Barbie playhouse donated by a Fredonia woman. The Samaritan House is located at the Dunkirk First United Methodist Church, 17 E. Sixth Street.
The Rev. Amy FitzGerald sets up the Barbie playhouse donated by a Fredonia woman. The Samaritan House is located at the Dunkirk First United Methodist Church, 17 E. Sixth Street.
~~~~
For a look at the challenges faced by a family of four living at the poverty level, go to www.nccbuscc.org/cchd/povertyusa/tour2.htm

A Barbie Dreamhouse. It may have been at the top of the Christmas wish list for every little girl at some time during her life. This year, through a thoughtful donation, one little girl's wish will come true.
According to Deuteronomy 15:11, "There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land."
The extension of the Sinclairville Samaritan House in Dunkirk hopes to fulfill this goal by offering clothing, furniture and small household goods to those in need. For the Christmas season, they have also been accepting toy donations to hand out as Christmas presents, such as the Barbie house donated by a Fredonia woman.
"The Dunkirk First United Methodist Church has taken on the added responsibility of being the northern extension of the Samaritan House," the Rev. Amy FitzGerald said. "Many people in Dunkirk and surrounding areas do not have the luxury of a vehicle, so utilizing this great program is denied them, as they have no way of traveling to Sinclairville."
The Sinclairville Samaritan House began in 2004 with the efforts of Maureen Schafer and the congregation of the Park United Methodist Church.
"Samaritan House is a Community Outreach Ministry, serving the community, by lending a helping hand with clothing and household goods at a low cost. Families in need are served at no cost," Schafer said.
Operating totally on donations and volunteer help, the Sinclairville house is open Wednesdays and Fridays from 2 to 6 p.m.
"Our goal is to reach out and be a helping hand to folks in need of household goods, furniture, appliances and clothing," Schafer said. "On an average day, we see 300 plus articles of clothing leave the building, and requests for appliances and furniture are never ending."
The need in the northern end of the county is no less great. The Dunkirk church was continually receiving requests for help from the community, and Schafer eventually suggested it become a part of the organization.
"I think many people would be stunned at the amount of families, single-parent households and seniors that are living in apartments with virtually no furniture," FitzGerald said. "On a daily basis, our church receives 5 to 10 people a day seeking help."
According to FitzGerald, most of the people who seek help are the working poor, families or singles mothers who may not qualify for other aid.
"Most who come in here are not on Social Services but are struggling through, on their own," FitzGerald said.
The North County Samaritan House center, headquartered in the Dunkirk First United Methodist Church at 17 E. Sixth St., is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday through Friday.
The new branch operation also provides a number of services besides offering clothes, furniture and household goods, including English as a Second Language and English-Learning-Spanish classes are scheduled 7 p.m. Wednesdays.
"The needs are great throughout Chautauqua County, where more than 17,000 families have incomes below the poverty level,'' FitzGerald said, "and as the economy gets worse and people lose jobs, the need is just going to increase."
Pastor FitzGerald said those who wish to donate clothing, food, household and appliance items, or to assist as volunteers, are asked to contact the church office at 366-2230. The church is in need of housegoods especially, like plates, glasses and silverware, as well as hats, gloves and jackets.
"Anything you need in an apartment, basically," FitzGerald said. "We'll take anything."
The church also participates in the Angel Food Ministries, a nationwide program providing low-cost foods.
"For $30, anyone can purchase a regular order with a food value of $60," FitzGerald said. "This is also a good Christmas present idea, as we all know of a family who is struggling to make ends meet."
The Angel Food program is hosted at the Dunkirk Senior Center once a month on Saturday. Volunteers are needed to hand out food. There are no eligibility requirements to receive food.
More details on Angel Food and other services are available by contacting the church office, or by e-mail at dunkirkfirstumc@verizon.com.
"If you are cleaning house, moving, or getting some new furniture or appliances, please keep the church in mind as a place to donate your treasures," FitzGerald said. "As we keep busy shopping, baking and wrapping all our gifts for the family, let us remember the reason for this season. Our ministry is not inside the church to each other, but outside, to our neighbors and our community. We have finally stepped up to the plate." Rev. Amy FitzGerald