by Jamila Ward

Welcome Wednesday is back! On Wednesday, February 24th Samaritan Inns will revive “Welcome Wednesday”! We are rolling out the welcome mat and inviting our community partners and neighbors to join us in a discussion of community happenings. Welcome Wednesday is a forum for residents and community stakeholders to collaborate and express their concerns as well as learn about our programs and services. Our first 2010 Welcome Wednesday event will take place in Elijah's House located at 1316 Euclid St. NW in our Community Room from 6-8:30 PM.

by Jamila Ward

This year, Samaritan Inns will celebrate its twenty-fifth year of providing affordable housing and recovery services to empower individuals experiencing homelessness and addictions to reclaim their lives.

Please join the Intensive Recovery Program (IRP) as we honor current and former residents of the IRP in a celebration of life!

By: Larry Huff, Samaritan Inns President
Pictured: Larry Huff (left) and Samaritan Inns Board Member Paul Gallagher

For me, one of the highlights of the fall is the Help the Homeless Walkathon – this year’s walk was no exception. It is probably the most “community-inspired” activity I know. You have people from almost every cultural, racial, and socio-economic background – doing it together! I even saw several homeless people either walking or cheering from the sidelines along the way. People were simply having a good time.

Earlier this morning, Sidwell Friends School completed a mini-walk as part of Fannie Mae’s Help the Homeless Walkathon program. Every year, Sidwell walks for three beneficiary organizations, one of which is Samaritan Inns. All of the money raised goes directly to Samaritan Inns to support our mission of ending homelessness and addictions in the District of Columbia.

Last week, Lynette Daniels, Program Director for Samaritan Inns’ Intensive Recovery Program, visited Rivendell School in Arlington, Virginia, to speak to the children there about homelessness. Kindergarteners and middle schoolers alike listened as Lynette shared her experiences as a staff member at Samaritan Inns and the importance of working toward making our community better.

“How many of you had the opportunity to eat breakfast this morning?” Lynette asked the children, whose little hands immediately shot up in the air.

Samaritan Inns is honored to be named as Chuck Todd’s charity in a bet he made with ABC News White House Correspondent Jake Tapper. Todd, NBC News’ White House Correspondent, entered into a bet with Tapper as to the outcome of the National League Championship Series: if the Dodgers won, Jake Tapper would have to grow a goatee and if the Phillies won, Chuck Todd would have to shave his.

Please join Samaritan Inns staff, volunteers and residents on Saturday, November 21, 2009 at the National Mall for Fannie Mae’s 22nd Annual Help the Homeless Walkathon! Last year, hundreds of individuals walked on behalf of Samaritan Inns in support of our mission to end homelessness and addictions in our Nation’s capital and raised over $21,000 for Samaritan Inns in the process! We hope this year we will have an even bigger presence at the Walkathon in celebration of our 25th year in service to our community. Please join us!

Please join us September 25th, 2009 for Samaritan Inns’ First Annual Tournament of Hope at the Westfields Golf Club in Clifton, Virginia. All proceeds will support the continuation of Samaritan Inns’ mission, to rebuild the lives of those experiencing homelessness and addictions in our Nation’s Capital. Every year, Samaritan Inns serves nearly 600 men and women on their recovery journey, and Samaritan Inns graduates maintain a 96% rate of uninterrupted sobriety one year after program completion.