Our Programs

24-Hour Emergency Hotline / Motel Shelter – 973-940-8869

Allows contact for emergency assistance of food and shelter through volunteers who answer the phones in their own homes.

Call for emergency assistance for housing placement.Contact for emergency assistance of food and shelter through our trained staff who answer the phones.  Samaritan Inn is the only shelter service that responds on a 24 hour/7 day week basis.  The hotline is available during evening hours, weekends and holidays to arrange safe shelter for families experiencing a sudden homeless emergency until Sussex County Social Services and Samaritan Inn’s offices are open for regular business hours. The goal of Samaritan Inn Emergency Hotline/ Motel Shelter Program is to provide one night of safe haven, until other services can be accessed.  This program also helps to decrease mental health concerns in clients by reducing fears and anxieties through providing emergency shelter after hours and weekends with a 24 hour service/ care availability. The emergency hotline/ motel program is a multiple service provider for emergencies, consultation, community case management, and a referral source for community members. The agency will provide supportive guidance, information and referral to link callers to services. Samaritan Inn will continue collaborative teamwork with resource agencies to engage chronic clients in appropriate services to meet their long term needs, and end dependence on emergency services.

Food Pantry

Open Monday, Wednesday & Friday from 2pm to 4pm to meet the nutritional needs of impoverished residents of Sussex County.

The food pantry is open to any low income individual in need of food.  Visitors were also offered coats, hats and gloves, book bags filled with clothes, hygiene items, and activities, holiday gifts and community case management.  The food bank serves all ages, disabilities and nationalities.  The only requirement is that the individual or family be low income.  Working poor and low income seniors are actively sought out as they are vulnerable due to being disqualified from many services; they often assume they are not eligible for food pantry services or are ashamed to apply. There is no cost to utilize the food bank or community case management.  The food pantry is also located in Newton.  Those who are capable are encouraged to volunteer to assist with stocking the food bank shelves, but this is by no means a requirement.  To qualify clients must be willing to show identification, and provide basic demographic information required by NORWESCAP.  There is no waiting list.  Some food banks will only serve specific populations or geographic areas, some believe that consumers should only go to one food bank per month and will not serve those who utilize multiple food banks. Samaritan Inn food bank will provide food to any low income resident of the county, once per month.  Our philosophy is that the provision of food, grooming and cleaning products is part of homeless prevention; especially for the working poor and those receiving social security or welfare.  It is our belief that since no food bank provides enough provisions to get through the month, it is good problem solving to utilize several sources.  The food bank is open from 2pm to 4pm Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The overall goals of this program for the upcoming year are to provide nutrition to families and individuals in need, including the working poor; to assist low income consumers, including shelter clients, to be able to direct a greater percentage of their limited financial resources towards their housing needs; provide a source of protein each month for each visitor; including singles or families without children. Our philosophy is that the provision of food, grooming and cleaning products is part of homeless prevention; especially for the working poor and those receiving social security or welfare.  It is our belief that since no food bank provides enough provisions to get through the month, it is good problem solving to utilize several sources.

Holiday Dinner and Gift Program

Open to families involved with Samaritan Inn services where families or food pantry clients can request help with Thanksgiving Dinner and/or Christmas gifts for families either previously in the shelter or currently in the shelter.

Community Case Management

Community Case managers work with each client individually to assess their immediate challenges and identify overall strengths and weaknesses.Short and long term goals are identified within the first week.Case managers provide the linkage to community resources and support the development of independent living skills.

Family Shelter Program

To provide temporary emergency shelter, case management, and on call support on a 24 hour/7 day a week basis to families in private apartments. Samaritan Inn’s Family Shelter Program, is the only shelter in the county that allows families to remain at the same location in a private apartment. In this realistic setting our clients and their children can practice the skills (attending school, work, social service, medical, and recovery program appointments, budgeting, housekeeping, cooking, parenting, and transporting themselves independently) that they will need to successfully break out of the cycle of chronic homelessness. Samaritan Inn is a temporary shelter, whose undertaking it is to provide clients who pass through our various doors a permanent bridge to independence.

The population to be served is homeless families of Sussex County, NJ. Homeless Families that meet the admission criteria and agree to the program and its rules can move into a shelter apartment as soon as an opening is available, usually within 1-5 days of applying. At times, we have also had same day admissions depending on the circumstances. Unlike most other homeless shelters, we provide families with private apartments and this offers them a realistic place to learn and practice the skills of successful independent living. Families work with the team to put together their individualized “plan of action” to attain the resources and skills needed to maintain a healthy family and to obtain and keep permanent housing. Residents are required to check in daily with staff for support and to report progress on their action plan. Though, shelter services are free, residents are required to bank 65% of all their income in an escrow account to learn to budget for their future rent obligation. The goal is to accumulate a security deposit for an apartment and all savings are returned on the day of discharge. Discharged families are encouraged to continue to utilize our food bank to supplement their financial resources.

Cooking with Coupons

A program to help families learn how to budget their money to be able to have sufficient healthy food for the month. The program also teaches families how to cook inexpensively and to prepare their own meals with unprocessed foods rather than buying fast food.

Our ultimate goal is to not only to help these families in immediate need, but to help all families that have been impacted by the downturn in the economy, looming inflation, limited budgets, unemployment etc., to learn how to eat better for less.  The long-term benefits of this program are countless.  We strive to provide valuable life skills that truly make a difference and can be passed on from generation to generation. The program has been such a rewarding experience.  Young mothers who had never used a coupon before, now not only are they making it until the end of the month with their food stamp dollars, but they now have money left over to buy diapers and other essential items.  These families are so excited at the prospect of gaining some control over their finances as well as their daily meals, dignity and self-respect. This program has made a huge impact on our clients financially, emotionally, and long term.  The program has taught homeless families in our shelter how to shop with coupons, budget, eat healthy,  and cook healthy meals. Families have been able to obtain the goal for a family of four to eat for $50 or less a week.  Many of these families are on food stamps and with the cost of groceries rising nearly 22%, they often cannot make it to the end of the month before running out of money and wind up at local food pantries for additional support.  Shopping with coupons often allow shoppers to purchase neccessary items for pennies. In our first “Cooking with Coupons” event, a whole chicken and other meal components were purchased with coupons. Families learned to use that one chicken to make four evening meals from one $5 chicken! The event has four components to it. Clients are initially set up with volunteers that teach the clients how to coupon and make their dollar stretch. The next part of the program clients are taught by an accountant from Center for Prevention and Counseling how to budget their money long term and how to repair their credit scores. Then, clients are brought into the kitchen area where volunteers from the Coupons for the Community program teach clients how to cook the meal they were served that night for dinner. The last component is the children are provided with activities and help with homework at the back of the room at Manna House located in Newton, NJ.  There are several concepts taught in one evening.  It is further discussed with clients to use the money that they are not spending on food towards housing or other bills to prevent future homelessness. The budgeting part of the program allows clients to gain knowledge that they don’t have due to their lack of education.

True and Page Progam

Samaritan Inn has contracted services through the Affordable Housing Alliance on the TRUE and PAGE program which offers utility assistance to low to moderate income individuals/families.