Santa Claus is Coming to Town – December 21!!
Visit our store for a special treat on Saturday, December 21 from 12-3!!
Longest Night
Please join us at Women’s Park on December 21st at 4:30
Adopt A Family 2024
16 families – 13 donors – 40 people connected this holiday season!
Thank you Helena community for your generosity and love for your neighbors in need!
December Events –
Food & Fundraising fun at Panda Express on December 13. …On December 21 – Santa in our store 12-3 and don’t forget to commemorate the “Longest Night” from 4-8 on December 21. We are thankful for your support community. Together We CAN Make A Difference!
Partnerships & Collaborative Support
Susan Butler, leader of Plymouth Congregational Church’s sleeping bag fundraising drive, with Ryan Galliher, Good Samaritan Ministries Our Place Outreach Coordinator. In addition to 30 bags previously delivered to Good Samaritan Ministries’ Our Place, Ryan will very soon distribute these 25 bags to more of Helena’s Homeless neighbors.
“Thanks to the generous donors, who make it possible to purchase these very warm Sleeping Bags,” said Susan.”We anticipate buying a few dozen more bags as more tax- deductible donations are received.”
This is the second winter that Plymouth has raised funds to purchase Sleeping Bags that are distributed by staff at Our Place.
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!
UNSHELTERED EXPERIENCE – FUNDraising, Awareness & Demonstration
QUESTION OF SURVIVAL: What’s it like for a female to live unsheltered in our town?
On November 2, some will find out, and through their education and experiences, we will raise more funds for Ruth’s Place – a women’s shelter and safe space in Helena slated to open early 2025.
Our store opens at 9am with 50% off all items! From 11:00 am-7:00 PM on Saturday, November 2 Good Samaritan Ministries will host a full schedule of daytime events onsite at our store location – 3067 Montana Avenue parking lot!
Food trucks, fashion show, children’s activity tent, in-store sales, amazing silent auction packages, Helena Library clothing drive and a stage with local speakers, Open Mic presentations, music and theatre will help us celebrate Good Samaritan Ministries accomplishments and ongoing programs while raising money and understanding of the ongoing challenges of the unsheltered in our community.
OUR CHALLENGE: From 7:00 PM until 7:00 AM November 3, twelve (12) women will remain on our property overnight to highlight the challenges of our female unsheltered neighbors. They pledge to stay twelve (12) hours, and each seeks ten (10) sponsors.
COMMUNITY OPEN INVITATION:
- Come join the activities during the day…
- We are seeking sponsors to help us achieve our goals for Ruth’s Place!
- Pledge a donation for the volunteers choosing to answer the question – What’s it like for a female to live unsheltered in our community?
TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
COLLABORATIONS:
Good Samaritan Ministries is thankful for the collaboration with the Lewis & Clark Library for a winter clothing drive during their 2024 BIG READ event.
CLOTHING DRIVE: Gently used or new donations of warm clothing – socks, shirts, jackets, mittens, scarves, boots and underclothes for all ages to be dropped off at the library October 1 through the month. The final donation date is November 2 during the Good Samaritan Ministries FUNDraising event!
Seeking sponsors
We are seeking sponsors for this event. Won’t you help?
Sponsorship Levels / per hour
Shelter Friend: $100
Build a Wall: $50
Furnish a Home: $25
Home “Pin”$: $10
Sponsors receive advertising signage day of event, logo on website and all marketing/outreach materials; 501 c 3 donation receipt.
Thank You!
50/50 Raffle
COMMUNITY CHEST – SUPPORTING A CAMPAIGN
Buy a ticket or many and split 50/50 with Good Samaritan Ministries!
$5 – 1 ticket
$20 – 5 tickets
Receive HALF of the total of ALL ticket sales for this raffle at the November 2, 2024 Drawing!
Winner to be announced at 4pm day of drawing and MUST BE PRESENT TO WIN!
For event and sponsor information contact:
[email protected]
406 442-0780 ext. 111
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!