FAMILIES MOVE INTO SAMARITAN INN
LEESBURG -- Homeless no longer, three families now call the Samaritan Inn home. After months of intense work, including more than 4,500 volunteer hours, the former Big Bass Motel is now beginning to meet the needs of families as they work to get back on their feet. 
Samaritan Inn opening
LEESBURG – After months of hard work, and despite tough economic times for donors, the Samaritan Inn for homeless families will host a “Volunteer Appreciation Day and Open House, Saturday, June 19, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Bowled over by enthusiasm
THE VILLAGES – Things are definitely rolling along for the completion of the Samaritan Inn, including help from bocce lawn bowling enthusiasts.
About 50 people showed up on April 10 for a tournament sponsored by The Villages Florida Chapter of UNICO National, said Scott Downing, a volunteer coordinator for the Inn at St. Timothy’s Catholic Church .
The Samaritan Inn Project
Lake County had long been known as a prime location for catching trophy bass when World War II ended, the economy was up and the entire nation was pressing forward. As good times prevailed, The Big Bass Motel opened along US Highway 27 in 1954 as a prime stopping point for anxious anglers and tired travelers. By the beginning of the Twenty First Century however the gleaming jewel had degraded into a place of despair and shame. Drug addicts and prostitutes had long since replaced avid sportsmen and travelling families.
The Samaritan Inn is a motel in Leesburg which is being renovated to become a transitional facility for homeless families.
The Christian Care Center (CCC) of First Baptist Church Leesburg currently operates an 18 bed facility for women and children, a 16 bed emergency shelter for children, a 30 bed drug and alcohol facility for men, pregnancy care center, a thrift store, and a benevolence care center.
The Samaritan Inn The News
Samaritan Inn : 'It's a lot of work, but it's a good cause.'
LEESBURG -- Sweat poured from their faces in Tuesday's morning heat as Chester Wood and a crew of volunteers painted the exterior and individual rooms of the Samaritan Inn, the former Big Bass Motel that will become a shelter for homeless families.
"We've got to move ahead," said Wood, project manager. "There are people out here who need a place to live and need to have help to get their lives put back together."
Volunteers pitch in to transform Leesburg's former Big Bass Motel into home for needy families
LEESBURG — A year ago, the Big Bass Motel sat in ruins. Now, after nearly a year of planning and repairs by dedicated volunteers, the motel is well on its way to becoming the Samaritan Inn — a place for homeless families with children to live while they get back on their feet.
Helpers fix up shelter
Volunteers are turning a motel into a Samaritan Inn for the homeless.
LEESBURG - Jun 2 2010 There was some dripping Tuesday morning, but it wasn't from paint dribbling off brushes and rollers. Volunteers were dripping with sweat in the sizzling heat while putting finishing touches on the Samaritan Inn, and being careful not to make a mess in the former motel that will become a homeless shelter for families by the end of the month.
Trinity High School seniors
LEESBURG - Wed Feb 3 2010 - The Trinity High School seniors climbed out of the bus Wednesday and gathered in a big semi-circle, shivering in the morning chill. They giggled self-consciously, then listened as the project manager explained how a modern day miracle came to pass.
Chester Wood explained how the old Big Bass motel had undergone "several lives" in the past. "The last one, if your parents heard you were here, they'd probably kill you," he said.
Workers begin transforming hotel into homeless shelter
LEESBURG -- More than 50 volunteers worked away Thursday under the morning sun, ripping out old lumber ceiling joists from a former motel. A new roof will be installed next week, and the inn will soon become a shelter for homeless families.
Contact Info
ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES
115 N. 13th Street Leesburg, FL 34748
Phone Numbers:
352-314-8733
352-434-1832
Fax Number: 352-314-8680
Office Hours
Monday - Friday
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Email Norma Hawkins,
CCC Administrative Assistant


