about samaritan community
our mission
The Samaritan Community provides assistance to meet the needs of individuals and families living in crisis, who wish to improve their lives. Our program is rooted in respect, hope, and healing.
IN 2022, WE...
Worked with 300 households (impacted 610 individuals) who accessed services 3,000 times
Addressed food insecurity by providing 2,300 bags of groceries to roughly 205 households through deliveries and food pantry visits. Bags included fresh produce, breads, dairy, poultry, seafood, shelf-stable items, and more
Provided 600 sessions of individual empowerment counseling across 145 members
Worked with clients on many types of difficult, often-complicated situations (obtaining/retaining housing, navigating the legal system, etc.) through roughly 2,000 sessions of case management services across 170 members
Distributed roughly $300,000 in emergency financial stipends to help members avert crises related to housing, utilities, medical care, legal help, employment, and more.
our philosophy
Food insecurity often leads most members to our doors, but once they enter they stay to be treated with the dignity and care that leads to physical and emotional healing. We offer opportunities to build and maintain more stable lives for those who are struggling with both short and long-term challenges.
our history
More than 40 years ago, The Rev. F. Lyman Farnham asked his congregant, Sharon Krieger, to establish and run a counseling program for those who came to the food pantry, located in the basement of Memorial Episcopal Church in the Bolton Hill section of Baltimore. Led by Ms. Krieger as Program Director ever since, this outreach has become Samaritan Community, an independent full-service crisis intervention and counseling program. Learn more about the
Farnham-Krieger Endowment Fund, in honor of our founders.
In 1994, we became a stand-alone, non-denominational, non-profit 501c(3) organization. Over the years, additional services were added to meet the growing needs of our members. These services include a food pantry, clothing and household goods 'shop', and individual and group counseling.
who we are today
Today, we continue to be a small organization with a BIG impact, adding staff but still relying on the dedication of our 45 volunteers. Still located in the basement of Memorial Episcopal Church, we are an independent, full-service crisis intervention assistance and counseling organization, proudly serving those simply struggling to survive, the working poor living on the edge, and the middle-class caught in economic turmoil, crisis, or tragedy. Our eligibility criteria are nothing more than the vital needs of the families and individuals who come through our doors.
Through the continued leadership of Ms. Krieger as Program Director, our dedicated Board of Directors, staff, and volunteers, we proudly serve approximately 1,100 members annually. We believe "the member is the program". Each one's specific needs determine the services we provide, including (but not limited to):