PEOPLE HELPING PEOPLE

SPOTLIGHT ON SAMARITAN MINISTRIES

by Mitzi Perdue

Steve Habeger recently had something wonderful happen. It was one of many

good things that have happened since13 he's volunteered to help at Samaritan

Ministries, the homeless shelter in Pocomoke City. It was the kind of thing

keeps him and his fellow volunteers working there.

Here's what happened. A Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) overheard Habeger

's wife mentioning to someone that Habeger was attending a Samaritan

Ministries meeting that night. The CNA excused herself for breaking into the

conversation and then said, "The Samaritan Ministries got me where I am

today! It gave me a chance to get back on my feet."

The woman went on to explain that 10 years earlier, she had been down and

out. She was a single mother with two children, and had developed a

crippling alcohol problem. Because of her alcohol addiction, she had lost

her job and ended up homeless.

The Samaritan Ministries took her in and he and the staff and volunteers

there treated her as they try to treat all who come there, that is with

dignity, warmth, and respect. They also tried to give her one of the biggest

things that she lacked in her life, structure.

They did it in a tough love kind of way. Each of the 300 or so guests who

come each year have to agree before they're accepted that they'll abide by

the rules.

These are: no substance abuse, no violence, and the guests have to be in by

ten in the evening and out, either working or looking for work, by 8:30 AM.

For some of the guests, the requirement about getting out early in the day

is a tough one.

"Often," says Habeger, "they've never owned an alarm clock because they've

never needed one. They didn't learn from their parents that you get up and

go to work even though you may not want to, and you make yourself do it

because you have a responsibility to yourself and your family."

The hope of the staff and volunteers who work there is that the people, like

the CNA, who come there will no longer engage in the behaviors that brought

them there. It's a tall order, because, as Habeger says, "You don't end up

in a homeless shelter by making just one mistake."

Habeger wishes people knew two things about the homeless shelter. "First,

you may not hear about the homeless now" he says, "and Hollywood may be off

to other causes, but the need for this type of facility continues

unabated.

"Second," he continues, "we have a huge diversity of needs. Because we're a

business, a home, a shelter, a food bank, and a charity, there's a need for

almost everything that a person could offer."

For example, can you teach a 16 year old mother about menu planning? With

just a little help, she could spend her money more wisely, and instead of

just getting the expensive prepared foods, she could make her budget go

further. You don't have to be a PhD to teach a young girl to shop.

Other ways people can help is maintenance of the building or the grounds, or

mentoring or driving guests, or best of all, offering them work. The

wonderful thing is that, as in the case of the Certified Nursing Assistant,

the people at Samaritan Ministries actually can help people get back on

their feet.

They're the modern day Good Samaritans.

Samaritan Ministries is a United Way Agency. You can reach them at:

Samaritan Ministries

P.O. Box 661

Pocomoke City, MD 21851, or call them at: 410 957 4310

Wish list:

New garage doors

A working cell phone

A working copier ("I don't need one that doesn't work: I've got one of those

already!" says Rev Tom Wall, Vice Chairman of the Board)

New living room carpet

Paper products, such as toilet paper, napkins, Kleenex

Anti Bacterial Wipes

A Large Mop

A working condition lawn mower and weed whacker

A working electric stove