Facebook Instagram Linkedin Youtube

We Are
good sam

Our Mission & Vision

Good Samaritan Services compassionately responds to homelessness and poverty through a unique and personalized approach to empower our neighbors to move from housing crisis to stability. We engage the community to support these efforts. Serving 300 men, women and children daily across Lancaster and Chester Counties, our vision is to see and serve all those who may be overlooked.

JOIN US

Everyone deserves a place to call home. At Good Sam, we believe in providing housing and services that are welcoming, dignified, and that communicate to those in our program, “you matter.”

Statement of Faith

Good Samaritan Services extends an invitation to everyone in need to receive help in the name of God’s love and mercy.

All who are in need are welcome, and we do not exclude anyone from assistance due to their beliefs or discriminate on any basis. One does not need to be a Christian to receive help from Good Sam. There is no religious requirement to receive our services. We do not require people to become Christians.

We will share God’s love with all peoples, and demonstrate our obedience to His commandments, teachings and values.

Our Core Values

Our Christian FAITH is central to all we do at Good Sam. We draw on COMPASSION to respond to the needs of individuals and families in crisis with GENEROSITY. To make a lasting impact, we work in PARTNERSHIP with individuals and community groups; exercise thoughtful STEWARDSHIP over the resources we have been given, and express GRATITUDE for all the help we receive and share.

HOW WE DO IT

Our Approach

We respond to our neighbors in need without judgment or criticism. The teachings of Jesus in the parable of the Good Samaritan serves as a guide for our work.

Specifically, we are passionate about:

Recognizing members of our community who are in need

Reacting with compassion

Responding with generosity

Lives Impacted by Good Sam

IMPACT STORIES

Our History

In June of 1999, Good Samaritan Services began (known as Good Sam Shelter).

1999

We acquired our first property, 133 High St. Started off as Emergency Housing serving 5 men.

2002

Acquired 135 & 137 High St. This was our first attempt at Transitional Housing (serving an additional 7 men)

2005

Acquired 104 & 106 High St. Providing Transitional House to 10 additional men.

2010

We expanded outside of Chester County and began providing shelter at 25 W Locust St. in Ephrata. This doubled our ability for service, beginning as an Emergency Shelter for 20-25 women and children.

2011

Phil Kane was the first participant to complete the Matched Savings program and was issued a check for $600!

2012

Started Microloan resource!

2013

Nourish program was a business that Good Sam started and it provided over $100,000 in wages to Good Sam Participants between 2015 & 2018 when the program ended.

2015

Acquired 21 W. Locust St. as Transitional Housing. Service capacity increase by 10-25 individuals.

2015

Paul & Helen Breitegam donated 318 Main St. in Phoenixville, which provides affordable housing to 11 individuals.

2016

Good Samaritan Shelter became Good Samaritan Services. We added a new layer of service, Housing Support Services, serving mostly single mothers.

2017

East Petersburg Mennonite Church partnered with Good Sam to provide a single-family home for supportive housing to a Good Sam participant family at a below-market rental rate.

April 2019

Rossmere Mennonite Church partnered to provide a single-family home for supportive housing to a Good Sam participant family at a below-market rental rate.

August 2019

214 St. Mary's St. was donated to Good Sam to provide affordable housing to four participants.

December 2019

Good Sam partnered with The Well to provide supportive housing with two, 3-bedroom rental units.

January 2020

Good Sam built our new office building in Phoenixville, PA as an addition behind our 104 High St. facility.

August 2020

Good Sam served their first dual-parent household through Housing Support Services.

September 2020

Good Sam began Winter Shelter at 21 West Locust St. in Ephrata, PA which provides services to men & women for nightly shelter.

September 2020

Amazing News!

The doors of our Kennett Square location are open, our first program participant has officially moved in, and we’ve received a $284,000 grant from The Longwood Foundation to provide operating funds for the first two years as we expand Good Sam in our fifth location!

We offer our deepest gratitude to all donors, volunteers, community partners and staff who have made this possible. We ask for your continued prayers as we grow our program in Kennett Square!