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SAMMinistries is an interfaith ministry whose mission is to help the homeless
and those at risk of becoming homeless attain self-sufficiency by offering,
with dignity and compassion, shelter, housing and services. SAMMinistries
also provides volunteers opportunities to be renewed and fulfilled as they serve.
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Relief from the heat
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Happy Father's Day, dads! It's our month and it has been a hot one! June is only half-way over and the summer heat is almost unbearable! Thank you for helping save lives. I do not mean that lightly, either. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reports, heat is the number one weather-related killer. I thank you for your support during this brutally hot summer. It provides life-saving care to San Antonio's homeless men, women, and children.
As I looked over this edition, I couldn't help but notice the two articles about the Facebook contests in which we have been selected to 'compete'. I know that many people at SAMMinistries are active Facebook users and are thrilled that we are moving forward into the 21st century. In this mobile and technological world, this is just another avenue for us to communicate with people . . . wherever they may be! But these contests could also provide us with much needed things for the ministry at no cost to us or our supporters!
Keep in mind that everything we do, we do so that we may serve the homeless men, women and children to the best of our abilities. A new vehicle and a grant for printing will definitely help us in our efforts to move people out of homelessness!
I am also thrilled about the educational accomplishments of the men, women and children in our Transitional Program and of all the great things our Volunteers are doing and the opportunities that are open for them to continue serving!
Enjoy the read! |
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Transitional Living Center Graduates, Honorees Achievements Celebrated
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Shonique Tornes, SAMMinistries' Board Member, inspires
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Your support this year has meant that families who would otherwise be homeless are instead accomplishing great things in their education! We can all be proud of their success!
The academic achievements of numerous parents and children in our Transitional Program were recognized in a ceremony at our Transitional Living and Learning Center (TLLC) on June 7. Keynote speaker at the ceremony was Shonique Tornes, member of SAMMinistries' Board of Directors and a graduate of our Transitional Program.
The spotlight shone bright that night on . . . 
Parents on their way to bright futures:
- Five earned their GED
- Six just completed one or more college semesters
- One received her Medical Assistant Certification
- Three others have been admitted to college
- One mom was inducted into a professional honor society for counseling
Children in our Transitional Program were also applauded for outstanding achievements, including ten students on the Honor Roll and three teenagers who graduated high school. Along with these accomplishments, students received acknowledgements for:
- Perfect attendance, academics, good citizenship, peer tutoring
- Commended on TAKS math test
- Commended on TAKS reading & math
- Best Attitude in 6th Grade & a choir award
- Straight A's, Outstanding Achievement in PE, reading, math & science, Best Class Attitude in three subjects, Highest Class Average in reading
- Outstanding Achievement & Teacher's Choice Awards in French
These children and parents might be living on the street if not for YOUR PART in supporting their success! Thank you for your help in giving the support needed to reach self-sufficiency! See photos of the ceremony on our Facebook Fan Page!
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NOW THRU JUNE 20th Facebook Contest: Vote For SAMMinistries
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 We are in the running to win a $500 grant from Big Star Branding! It's been a very close race over the last couple of weeks, so we need a BIG finish to win! Please help us with your vote! It is easy, quick and doesn't cost a cent!
Here's how YOU can vote:
Log in to your Facebook account. Once you are on Facebook, click on this link or type in www.bigstarbranding.com/BeABigStar. The list is in alphabetical order, so find and watch the SAMMinistries' video (it's a new one!) and click "LIKE" !
This is a great trial run as we ramp up for our HUGE Toyota 100 Cars for Good Contest coming up in July. Let's get the momentum going and keep it going through July 20th!
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SAMMinistries: A Finalist in Toyota's 100 Cars for Good Facebook Contest--Vote July 20th to Help!
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 Vote for SAMMinistries at Toyota's Facebook Fan page on
Wednesday, July 20th.
Toyota's 100 Cars for Good program will award 100 vehicles over the course of 100 days to 100 deserving nonprofit organizations based on votes from the public. SAMMinistries is one of the 500 finalists!
Last year, we physically moved 144 families from the shelter into their own residences.
Many of our program graduates don't have family in San Antonio and can't afford movers, so they rely on SAMMinistries to help them get into their new places. We also pick up supplies and items from donation drives around the city...so another truck would really increase how we can help people in need. This one truck would affect countless lives by giving the homeless a fresh start on that first day of the rest of their lives.
On July 20th, we will go head-to-head against four other non-profits located outside of San Antonio to win a Toyota vehicle.The voting will be fast and furious, which is why we are letting you know ahead of time.
We will be posting reminders throughout the day on SAMMinistries' Facebook Fan page, so if you "Like" us you will get a reminder from us to vote! Or you can go to the Toyota Facebook Fan page and register to get a reminder sent to you closer to July 20th. Once on their site, go to the 100 Cars for Good tab, click on "View Contestants", find SAMMinistries, click on us and then "remind me to vote this day."
Click here to see more information about the contest and to VIEW OUR VIDEO ENTRY!
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1,500 Towel Challenge
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Pretty to look at, but white towels are preferred!
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1,500--that's the number of adult bath towels used every day at the SAMM Shelter. As you can imagine, the laundering and handling process of these precious commodities is endless. The daily usage and the sheer number of people using the towels has put quite a toll on the towel supply. Over the months, we have seen a decrease in the number of available towels to distribute and we are in desperate need of ADULT-SIZED bath towels. When our residents come in from the heat after working in the hot sun, a cool shower is a blessing! However, it is difficult to dry off from a shower with a small hand towel and it is impossible to wrap a small towel around your body as one prepares to dress. So, we are issuing a 1,500 Towel Challenge in hopes of receiving enough towels to help us through one day of service in 30 days! If you have some new or gently used adult-sized towels that you would like to donate, please drop them off at either of our two locations:
Transitional Living and Learning Center
daily from 8am-8pm 5922 Blanco, San Antonio, TX, 78216 210-979-6188 Donation Station at the SAMM Shelter Mon-Fri 8am-5pm, Sat 10am-3pm One Haven for Hope Way, San Antonio, TX, 78205 210-220-2412 If you know a group that would like to have a towel drive, please email or call Melanie, our Director of Development Services, at 210-321-5641. Top of Page
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Volunteer Spotlight: The Yale Club
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 The Yale Club of South Texas, an organization consisting of graduates from Yale University, is committed to serving the San Antonio Community. In an effort to best serve the residents of SAMMinistries and fulfill the Yale Club's interests, the Yale Club began a year-long initiative to volunteer alongside SAMM residents, encouraging them in acts of community service.
Recently, the Yale Club of South Texas, led by John Bozada, invited the residents of SAMMinistries' Transitional Living and Learning Center to spend a morning at the San Antonio Food Bank. Volunteers from both SAMMinistries' programs and Yale's alumni worked side-by-side for several hours boxing up food items to be distributed to senior citizens throughout San Antonio. This unique experience was a treat for all parties.
"It was such a joy to see our families volunteering with their children...watching them take pride in the fact that they too have something to offer to help other people in need," said SAMMinistries Director of Development Services, Melanie Cawthon, commenting on the experience.
It is our mission at SAMMinistries to serve our residents, helping them achieve self-sufficiency with dignity and respect. The Yale Club of South Texas has allowed us to do that by giving our families the gift of giving back to the San Antonio community. Thank you to the Yale Club for serving our residents in a creative way!
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Volunteer Needs and Opportunities
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We Need You This Summer!
 Family Room Hosts: SAMMinistries is currently seeking volunteers to serve on campus at Haven for Hope seven days a week 6-8pm and Saturday and Sunday 1-4pm. The families of the SAMM Shelter at Haven for Hope have been blessed with a Teen Room, Play Room, and Playground that the families will only be able to use if we have an adequate number of volunteers in attendance. This is a great opportunity for your church to get behind the movement to serve the homeless families in San Antonio.
Weekday Receptionist: Every Wednesday and Friday throughout the summer months we need additional support manning the phones and welcoming guests to our Transitional Living and Learning Center on Blanco Road, just inside Loop 410. The Wednesday shift is from 12pm - 4pm. Fridays can be a 4.5 hour shift, or an 8 hour commitment (with lunch break) between 7am - 4pm. This position offers a lot of interaction with our residents, as well as, air conditioning and a place to sit! The best of all worlds for a summer volunteer opportunity. This is a great option for vacationing teachers, our fabulous senior citizens and anyone who just wants to help. Library Support: Our families are fortunate to have libraries at both of our facilities. We are in need of library support for the TLLC library and the Reading Room at the SAMM Shelter on the Haven for Hope campus. We have books that need sorting, shelves that need regular maintenance, and volunteers to open the libraries to the residents. Fence Building Teams: The Transitional Housing program has 25 houses spread throughout San Antonio that families reside up to two years while getting back on their feet. We are preparing to build wooden fences around many of the houses and are looking for teams of experienced volunteers to assist us in the labor that this will require. This is a great opportunity for military groups. All volunteers must be at least 18 years old to assist us in building these fences. Singles Events Downtown: The single men and women living in the SAMM Shelter at Haven for Hope are in need of groups to host activities on weekends throughout the year. We are looking for groups that can host movie nights, domino tournaments for the men, ladies' days, game days, and dinner time choir performances. Come out and support our singles!
 Kid's Corner: For nearly a year volunteer, Bill Baumann has been hosting Kid's Corner on Thursday nights 7-8pm on Thursday nights. On average, 20 kids have been attending the Kid's Corner, and we need more volunteers to help out on Thursday evenings. Come read to our kids or have our little guys and girls read to you. Top of Page
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As we prepare for this summer, we are already serving hundreds of people each and every day, but I expect the number will rise right along with the temperature. Please keep the men, women and children in need of help in your prayers; that they will come to us in their time of need and be served by us through your gifts! I also pray that SAMMinistries can count on you and your support as we serve them with dignity and compassion!
Pray, give and serve in any way you can--we all need you!
Prayerfully,
 Navarra R. Williams President and CEO P.S. Click here to give a financial gift today! |
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