 Samaritan House takes Michelle and her young daughter, Emily in. She is assigned a Family Advocate and a Children’s Advocate. Michelle and Emily are given a warm place to stay; Emily is now safe. Within a few months, the once fearful mother finds a job, and her strength.
On the mother’s wish list this year, is not a new set of pans or new clothes, but peace of mind and the promise of a new future.
The holiday season is always a special time for Samaritan House staff because giving is always better than receiving. “The most wonderful time of the year” is an understatement for staff that have the privilege of making a call to let a parent know that they do not have to worry about how to put food on the table for Thanksgiving or what they will have to sacrifice in order to buy a gift.
“Calling a client of mine to let them know that finding a way to purchase gifts for their loved ones is one less burden that they have to worry about is such a joy. It’s the one time during the year where instead of calling clients to talk to them about court, I get to call them to tell them that they are going to have a wonderful holiday season free of worry. The opportunity that the holidays give to Samaritan House advocates makes their job a little bit easier, if but for a short amount of time.” - Debbie Sanders, Victim Advocate
 Not only is giving to our clients such a joyous occasion but staff also get to meet new supporters delivering holiday cheer or reuniting with a family that makes it their annual tradition to deliver gifts or food to Samaritan House. There’s a certain magic that lingers in the air around the holidays and there is no exception for that at Samaritan House.
Families with children in the United States are more likely to report anticipating stress this holiday season than those without children, with more than half anticipating stress caused by not having the money to purchase gifts (American Psychological Association). The families served by Samaritan House have enough to worry about; what could be better than keeping yourself and your family safe and healthy while also being able to enjoy the wonders of the holiday season?
Every day of the year members of our community come to Samaritan House not looking for a hand out, but a hand up; a fresh start, a new way of life. They need support, every donation small or large, meets a genuine need.
If you are interested in making a donation to Samaritan House this holiday season, please call Development at (757) 631-0710 or visit our website www.samaritanhouseva.org.
Samaritan House wishes you and yours a safe and happy holiday season.
We look forward to continuing to bring Hope, Healing and Change to those in need in 2011.
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