5 FAMILIES CALL SAMARITAN INN HOME

LEESBURG -- Samaritan Inn now houses five homeless families in transition from homelessness.  This makes a total of six since it opened at the end of June.  One man was here for a few weeks until he found employment and now is living in his own apartment in Leesburg.    

Also on board to help manage the former motel are two resident managers: Gwen and James who help residents with needs, supplies and direction for moving upward and outward.  “This is not a drug rehab facility nor a rest stop.  When folks come here they know they are working to identify and address the causes for being jobless and homeless” says Chester Wood, Samaritan Inn Director.  “We don’t want them to stay here long.  We want them to enjoy the benefits and face the responsibilities of being a part of productive society.  Coming here they are telling us they want to break the cycle that keeps them down.  We are helping with that.”

Two rooms are still being renovated, replacing broken tile and bathroom fixtures in what used to be the Big Bass Motel, “but they will soon be occupied by two other families”; Wood said.

Many of the children are toddlers, but they range all the way up to their teens.  There are residents attending Leesburg High School, Oak Park Middle School, Carver Middle School, Leesburg Elementary School and GED classes through Lake Tech at Genesis Center.  Five of our adults are employed already and two more are looking for work while working on the GED. 

Each family is working on a case plan to improve their lives. Our first resident, Shawna Hazlett, is studying for a certificate as a pharmacy technician and is employed in a Childrens Shelter Home helping care for children in need.  

Shawna came to Florida with big plans when she suddenly found herself homeless, without a car, and staying in the woods with her daughters Alivia, 4, and Kira, 3. An Army veteran, she turned to the Christian Care Center's Benevolence Center for help. That's where she learned about the Samaritan Inn and the chance to stay in a safe, clean, family friendly place at no cost to herself.

“I feel lucky and blessed,” she said in an interview with the Daily Commercial when she moved in, “but there’s a part of me that feels a little bit guilty because there are people out there that don’t have this,” she said.  Not only has she found a safe place for her family, but she has also received Christ and has been baptized.

The next step for Samaritan Inn will be to build a kitchen and dining facility. Presently, meals are prepared at the men's residence and delivered to the Inn. The north wing of the old motel will also be renovated. Once all the work is completed, the Inn will house 20 families.

Work on the south wing was made possible by grants, donations and an outpouring of support -- especially from various churches.  About 4,500 volunteer hours went into the reconstruction of the south wing. It had to be cleaned up, floors stripped, a new roof put on, it was rewired and plumbing was replaced, new ceilings, repainted and new furnishings among other things.

Volunteers will be called upon again in the near future and donations are especially crucial. 

“This ministry is part of the Christian Care Center Ministry Village at First Baptist Church, Leesburg”, Wood said.  “Samaritan Inn is truly the result of the community of faith coming together to demonstrate to the world we can work together to address this common cause:  homeless children in our area.  Many different denominations participate in this effort in the name of Jesus Christ.  The outpouring has been tremendous and still continues today.”  Thousands of volunteer hours and Thousands of Dollars have been donated to make Samaritan Inn possible.  “This is an overwhelming task”, says Chester, “all the people who have stepped up and made this happen are making the difference to these families.”