Maria Protopsaltis, deputy director of Samuel’s House, joined Good Morning Keys on Keys Talk 96.9/10.5FM this morning to talk about the organization.
Samuel’s House opened its doors Oct. 1, 1999, with the Mary Spotswood Women’s Center, providing emergency shelter and supportive services for women and women with children.
The organization has since expanded to three facilities. Kathy’s Hope provides housing and services for women and women with children, while another facility serves men with children and intact families.
Protopsaltis said a fourth building is planned following the completion of a renovation project. The facility will serve as transitional housing for women and women with children and will be named in memory of her friend and former classmate, Tanya Leto, who died earlier this year.
Protopsaltis said the organization works to help residents address the circumstances that led to their homelessness while providing the basic necessities they need to move forward.
“We basically help families move from crisis towards stability and permanent housing,” she said.
Services include shelter, meals, basic necessities and supportive case management. Staff members help residents apply for other assistance programs for which they may qualify, revise resumes, search for employment and address other barriers to stable housing.
Protopsaltis said homelessness can happen to people who are working and otherwise doing well when an unexpected crisis strikes.
A landlord may sell a property and give a family little time to find another place to live. An injury or illness can prevent someone from working, or one spouse in a two-income household can suddenly become sick or injured, leaving the family unable to keep up with expenses.
“That can be one catastrophic thing,” Protopsaltis said.
Those circumstances can quickly lead to missed rent payments and eviction notices, making Samuel’s House facilities, rental assistance and grant programs especially important.
The organization currently has available units at Kathy’s Hope, although they fill quickly. The units are individual spaces within a shared communal environment and include private bathrooms.
Protopsaltis also stressed that every donation makes a difference because the money stays in the local community.
“When someone donates to Samuel’s House, I want to let our donors know that these dollars are working right here in our community,” she said.
Donations help keep a roof over someone’s head, provide meals and basic necessities and fund the supportive services that help people become self-sufficient.
Protopsaltis pointed to individual success stories as examples of the impact of that assistance, including a woman who experienced domestic abuse and financial hardship while working multiple jobs and caring for her daughter. With rental assistance and case management, she was able to regain stability and build an independent life for herself and her daughter.
Protopsaltis said those success stories are possible because of community support.
“Every number represents a real person — a mother trying to keep her children safe, a woman rebuilding after a crisis, or a family that simply needs somewhere safe to land while they get back on their feet,” she said.
Samuel’s House is also preparing for a major fundraising opportunity in October. The organization has been selected as the Sloppy Joe’s Foundation Caturday beneficiary for the month, which includes five Saturdays.
Protopsaltis is seeking volunteers for each Saturday in October to help with the fundraiser.
She said the organization is putting together a Samuel’s House Caturday volunteer team and encouraged community members to volunteer for one or several Saturdays.
“It’s a lot of fun, builds character, and then you actually get to know more about the agencies, the people working within them, the people that we’re serving,” she said.
Samuel’s House will also participate in Holiday Village in December with community partner Wesley House.
She encouraged residents to volunteer their time, noting that participating in fundraisers can provide a firsthand opportunity to learn more about local nonprofit organizations and the people they serve.
Anyone interested in volunteering for the October Caturday events can contact Protopsaltis directly and mention they heard about the opportunity on the radio.
People interested in housing at Kathy’s Hope can also contact Samuel’s House at 305-296-0240, extension 114. Protopsaltis can be reached at [email protected].
More information about Samuel’s House and opportunities to donate is available at samuelshouse.org.
Protopsaltis said the organization remains grateful to the residents, volunteers, donors and community partners who make its work possible.
“Without you, we couldn’t do the work that we do,” she said.