Samaritan Inns

Combating Homelessness & Addictions. Rebuilding Lives.

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Letters from Larry: A New Year

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To Our Samaritan Inns friends and family,

2018 presents new opportunities and challenges for us all. At Samaritan Inns, we are no stranger to either. Each year, our nation’s opioid epidemic worsens, leaving lost love ones and broken families in its wake. Washington, DC is at the heart of many of the nation’s substance use problems, leading the nation in alcohol abuse.
However, there is hope. Thanks to your continued support, we provide a beacon of light for those needing help. Over the past year, over 250 clients entered our Adult Treatment Program, looking for a new beginning. About 25 mothers began building a healthy foundation with their families through our Women with Children Program. Men and women in our long term recovery program have strengthened their commitment to independent living, with 98% of alumni continuing to live drug and alcohol free.
The challenges we face, as a community and nation, seem insurmountable. However, we know that when we come together to face these challenges, hope will win. This year, I look forward to partnering with you as we work to restore hope and bring healing to our community.
Best,

Larrys-signature

 

 

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Meet our Samaritans: An Interview with Gwendolyn Mayfield

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fullsizeoutput_b77Gwendolyn Mayfield joined the team at Samaritan Inns as the Childcare Center Director this June. She has over 30 years of experience in childcare and a deep passion for creating a safe and fun learning environment for each child, as well as establishing holistic relationships with their parents and family. We asked her a few questions about her experience thus far.

Tell me a little bit about each of the kids at the Clark Inn and the dynamics and relationships you’ve developed with each of them.

Well my first was Brendan. His mom graduated. She was a very supportive parent and Brendan was very curious and independent but yet…what would you say…he wasn’t excited about others getting my attention. He was pretty much like, “This is my Gwendolyn!” He started out with other kids but for three weeks it was just him and me doing everything we can. Brendan was very smart. Mom must have been reading with him because anything I taught him he was just going to the next level. [For example] Geometry; I sat down with these different kinds of shapes and put them together to show him how you can make different things with the shapes by putting them together. He made some things I hadn’t even thought about.

fullsizeoutput_b5dRight now we have Miracle, who is my oldest, and she will be five in January. She is very bright. Her brother Messiah does everything his sister does. He lives for his sister. Just recently he’s started to get a little bit independent; just a little. Just enough so that I can get him to sit down and focus on his art, or whatever activity we are doing, and he sticks with it instead of following her.

My littlest one is Kahlie! She’s so feisty. So smart. She knows lots of words. Sometimes she’ll say words I didn’t even know she knew. But all of them are sweet hearts. I love my little ones, I really do! But I love it when I see them getting to the next level. Leaving the anger behind.

You had a graduation this past weekend. Can you talk about what it’s like to see the moms and their children graduate?

Oh, it was so nice. Everyone got up to share something special. It was so emotional; to hear she stuck to her goals and what she wanted to do to get through the program…and that she made it through. She told me exactly what she wanted Brendan to learn and she told me anytime his behavior is not cooperative to let her know and she did follow up on that.fullsizeoutput_b42

I met her family: her mom, her sister, and I think some little children who were probably her nieces and nephews. They all had a warmth that you feel when you meet them, and I was like “Wow!” I had to do a letter for her and it was easy to write because she was so supportive the whole time. She would buy special snacks every now and then; she would bring them over. She was really thinking about us and her child when she was here.

The graduation was just awesome. I don’t know everybody’s situation, I just know them through their children. But that bond is just so good. I could tell they really care about me and they’re just very respectful and I could tell I was in the perfect place.

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Interning with Samaritan Inns: A Q&A with Michael Hochstein

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While many college students spend their Summers relaxing and recovering from a stressful school year, Michael Hochstein, a Psychology & Biochemistry double major at Mount St. Mary’s University, spent his summer with Samaritan Inns. As classes start up again this week, we asked Michael to reflect upon his experience.

What made you want to work for Samaritan Inns?Image

I wanted to put my time and energy [this] summer into an organization that made a real positive impact in the world of mental health. Upon looking at my options, I saw that Samaritan Inns does just that. It’s people pouring everything they have into helping the homeless and treating their mental illnesses. That is something I wanted to be a part of.

What are some of the things you learned while here?

I learned and refined some basic skills, like Microsoft office. I also got to photograph and write a blog post about Deloitte’s Impact Day, where they came in and helped beautify one of the [Affordable Housing Program Buildings] for the residents. I also gained more insight into the mental health treatment process and got to meet plenty of amazing people!

I honestly did love my time there, I got to do a lot of things I didn’t expect but that helped me become more well-rounded.

What are your future goals (education & career)? Has this experience changed them?

I hope to eventually get an MD and work as a psychiatrist in a psych ward.

This experience didn’t change my goals as much as strengthened my resolve to achieve them. I saw all the work that Samaritan Inns does and the positive impact it has, and knew more than ever before that I needed to be a part of something like it. Mental health is neglected in our world but is so very important.

What was your favorite part of working for Samaritan Inns? 

My favourite part of working for Samaritan Inns had to be the [Clark Construction cookout], where some executives came and cooked for the residents and then we all ate together. It was a very cool experience to see these important men make a point to serve and to interact with the residents.

Any suggestions for anyone interested in interning for Samaritan Inns? 

My suggestions would be to make yourself and your skills known to everyone in the office.Be willing to do any job, even if it is new to you. They will have plenty of jobs for you, just be willing to help out. The staff and residents both greatly appreciate it!

We are truly grateful for Michael’s dedication to our mission. If you, or someone you know, would be interested in an internship with Samaritan Inns, please email us with your qualifications and areas of interest.

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Register for the 9th Annual Tournament of Hope!

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We are happy to announce that we are returning to The Golf Club at Lansdowne for the 9th Tournament of Hope and registration is open! Samaritan Inns will be playing on the RTJ Course that incorporates woodlands, natural stone outcroppings, and centuries-old rock walls for challenging and scenic golf.

Registration for the Ninth Annual Tournament of Hope is now open! If you’d like to sponsor the Tournament of Hope, please download the form here or register through our database.

Registration 1:00 pm
Tee Off 1:30 pm
September 25, 2017
The Golf Club at Lansdowne
44050 Woodridge Pkwy
Lansdowne, VA 20176

Register

For more information on The Tournament of Hope, please contact Cecilia Kramer at cecilia@samaritaninns.org.

Perry’s Journey

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shaw“My name is Perry. I’m from Washington, DC, born and raised …”

 

I used heroin for about 42 years. All I knew was using. I started using crack in conjunction with the heroin use, and that brought me all the way to my knees. I couldn’t handle it. I couldn’t handle heroin. I was glad when I got busted. I got [sentenced to] five years. I was like, “Thank you, God, now I can stop.” And since that time, I hadn’t had an interest in using.

Then I came home, went to a transition house, the Coalition for the Homeless. I stayed there 17 months. My counselor said it’s time to go a little further and put me with Thaddeus [a counselor at Samaritan Inns]–we grew up in the same neighborhood. We lived three blocks from each other! I interviewed with Thaddeus and I’ve been at Lazarus House coming up on six years.

Samaritan Inns is clean. Secure. A place that’s going to allow me to save some money. It’s a clean environment where everyone’s not using. I wouldn’t have excellent credit with money at my disposal, without Samaritan Inns. I would have had to leave that transition house and move into market rent.

And then last year I was set back with cancer. I knew that God always had something for us to go through…and it’s something that has brought me back to earth. Even though I’ve been diagnosed with it, it’s terminal, I’m alright with that too. Something’s going to happen to everybody and I’m not excluded.

I’m just satisfied with everything. For me to be alive still…I shouldn’t be. I’ve made a connection with God. I made a connection with my family. I’m happy with me. Totally happy with me. And I’m still here. Long as I don’t suffer, I’m ready.

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