All around Ephrata, there are men and women who have fallen on hard times and are now unhoused—and Katie knows each of their names.
Every day as our Outreach Resource Coordinator, she is out visiting with them, checking up on them, seeing if they have any needs. This simple act shows them the dignity and worth they each have as a human being, especially in a world where they are often looked down on.
On a given day, there are estimated hundreds of people facing street homelessness throughout Lancaster County, and here at Good Sam, we are passionate about responding to them with compassion.
Our Street Outreach program is the first of several steps in our program and aims to connect with those who are unhoused to offer them the resources and support they need to start their journey to stability. While our outreach efforts first launched in Ephrata, our long-term goal is to have dedicated Outreach staff serving both Lancaster and Chester Counties
It is often the first step in building trust with our unhoused neighbors, many of whom have experienced deep trauma and hardship that makes it hard to ask for or accept help. Through consistent, compassionate connection, our Outreach Resource Coordinator starts rebuilding trust and often becomes the first person someone feels safe enough to engage with, opening the door to their decision to enter our program and begin their journey toward stability.
Another important part of this role is building relationships with local businesses and community members who may interact with or know individuals experiencing homelessness. She offers guidance on how they can respond with compassion and helps spread the word that Good Sam is a supportive resource they can share with anyone in need.
During the winter months, this looks like running a winter shelter alongside our friends from The Living Room Church. And during the rest of the year, it looks like building relationships and offering compassion to neighbors in need.
Much of Katie’s day is spent in the community, touching base with her friends who are unhoused. She visits the places she knows they commonly spend the day, stopping to say hi and see if they have any needs.
When one person needed a pair of shoes, Katie had one to give him. When temperatures soar, Katie is going around passing out water and making sure they stay safe and hydrated.
Recently, she learned that one of these neighbors had a birthday coming up and her and her daughters got busy making it special. They found out his favorite cake flavor, baked him cupcakes, made birthday cards, and put together a special birthday bag full of things they knew he’d like—a simple act that showed him dignity and love, what we are all about here at Good Sam.
“I grew up in the 90s when ‘WWJD’ was a big movement, what would Jesus do?” Katie shared, reflecting on what makes her job meaningful.
"[Jesus] would have been a great outreach worker. Getting to live that out is very meaningful to me and gives me a purpose to compassionately respond to each person I meet on the streets.” —Katie
“He would have been a great outreach worker. Getting to live that out is very meaningful to me and gives me a purpose to compassionately respond to each person I meet on the streets.”
That’s what we seek to do every day here at Good Sam, extend hands of compassion to those in our community who need it, courageously loving even those many deem unlovable with the goal of one day seeing them thrive.
