Category: News
Best of Helena
Welcome to the Best of Helena!
Good Samaritan Ministries would love your vote!
To VOTE for your favorite Thrift Store go here…VOTE FOR GSM !
FREE COATS FOR CHILDREN
If your child is in need of a coat, come to GSM Store to get your child a new winter coat! Thank you to our generous sponsors – including the Lewis & Clark Library, for this warm gift!
FALL FUNdraising WAS A SUCCESS!! THANK YOU
FALL FUNdraising EVENT
Our November 2 event was a success! Thank you volunteers, donors, sponsors and our community for supporting the opening of Ruth’s Place – Emergency Crisis Shelter in 2025!!
If you’d like to support our ongoing efforts to secure operations funds for Ruth’s Place, please go to our “Ways to Give” link!
RSVP : [email protected]
406 442-0780 ext. 111
GSM NEEDS Match Grant Funds Needed
GSM NEEDS Match Grant Funds Needed
We received grant approval from Montana State Fund for specialized equipment designated for our organization to continue to offer a clean and safe environment for staff, patrons and the community
Q: What’s the need?
A: There is a 50% match requirement! We require an additional $3,000 to purchase this industrial equipment as a match to the grant.
Q: What do we need the funds for?
A: We need an industrial floor cleaning machine for use in our store, office and common areas
STORE UPDATES:
• Summer Hours July-Oct. 1 9:00 AM—7:00 PM
• Dock Hours Tuesday-Saturday 10:00 AM-6:00 PM
SCHOOL’S IN SESSION EVENT: Sat. September 14 11:00 -3:00
SALES: Children’s clothing, school supplies ,
ACTIVITIES/ONSITE PHOTOGRAPHER: Join the party in our store!
DONOR UPDATES
First Quarter Projections Looking Solid!
According to our donor database, our community has helped us raise over $4500 between July 1 and August 14!
If we continue at this pace, we have the potential to raise $30,000 or more in donations! That’s a base salary for an outreach worker, financial assistance to secure housing, food or supplies for needful clients!
The possibilities are incredible!
August 2024
In this issue:
FEATURE: Ruth’s Space
NEEDS: Match Grant $
DONOR UPDATES: 1st Quarter
OPERATIONS NEWS:
Dock Hours extended;
School party! 9/13/24
GSM SUPERSTARS:
Our ED—Theresa Ortega!-
Ruth’s Place Has a Space!
Good news! After a year long wait, we found a solution and created a collaborative effort between Good Samaritan Ministries (the catalyst behind the shelter) and Family Promise of Greater Helena (the resources to get it moving) . We plan to break ground next month on Ruth’s Place—a women’s shelter in Helena! That new planned location is Family Promise at 2814 Cook Street, just off N Montana Avenue. The two agencies will share the space.
GSM SUPERSTARS
Executive Director Theresa Ortega nominated for Lumen Cristi Award
Since its inception in 1978, the award—presented by Catholic Extension Society, has been given to people who radiate and reveal the light of Christ present in the communities where they serve.
Our Executive Director was nominated for her leadership, and stewardship of funds and resources for the ongoing development of the social service programs funded through the successful GSM store operations!
TOGETHER THEY MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS : The Unsheltered Experience was super successful.
THANK YOU TO OUR DONORS, VOLUNTEERS AND SPONSORS
What’s it like for a female to live unsheltered in our town? You CAN STILL donate to our event and our efforts…
On November 2, 12 of us found out…and through our education and experiences, we raised more funds for Ruth’s Place – a woman’s shelter and space!
We seek sponsors for this event: Won’t you help?
Shelter Friend— $1000 Build a Wall: $500
Furnish a Home—$250 Home “Pin”$: $100
EVENT: FALL FUNdraiser – full day of events, sales, music, fashion show, children’s crafts—night demonstration—”encampment”
WHEN: November 2, 2024 9 am to 7 p.m.
WHERE: Good Samaritan Ministries Parking lot!
3067 N. Montana Avenue Helena, MT 59601
RSVP : [email protected] or go to our “Ways To Give” page
406 442-0780 ext. 111
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BACK IN SCHOOL EVENT SEEKING YOUR PARTICIPATION
Please join us in providing resources, information, swag and supplies to students and their families at our in-store sale, community fair and fun event.
We have tables. We just need you!!!
WHEN: September 14TH, 2024 11 to 3 p.m.
WHERE: Good Samaritan Store
3067 N. Montana Avenue Helena, MT 59601
RSVP : [email protected] BY 9/08
406 442-0780 ext. 111
Special thanks for our local Walmart for contributing healthful snacks for our grab-bags for participating children!
WE HOPE YOU WILL CONSIDER JOINING US. OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS YOUR INFORMATION!
Helena shelter residents aim to ‘change public perception’ with city block clean-up
Clients of Our Place, the Good Samaritan Ministries-run addiction recovery drop-in center, spent much of Tuesday morning cleaning up the block in an effort to change public perception.
He said some of the Our Place clients came up with the idea of cleaning up the block during a group meeting.
“We’re giving them the tools to do what they want to do and that is clean up the neighborhood,” he said.
“We have to show them that we want to be good neighbors, but they have to understand that the status quo isn’t working,” CJ said while sweeping dirt off a Last Chance Gulch sidewalk ramp.
Rachell, another Our Place client, said her participation in the clean up helps her out. Rachell said she has been diagnosed with growing calcifications in her brain. She called them “brain stones” and said they have manifested obsessive compulsive tendencies in her.
“It’s nice to have my feet on the ground,” she said.
She said she has noticed many of the unsheltered in Helena do have mental health problems like her.
“They’re not trying to be disrespectful,” she said. “They are unable to make the right choices.”
Buscher said he hopes the clean-up will become a regular occurrence, but that it will take some encouragement.