About Us – Samaritan Inn

We are a non profit organization which has been serving Sussex County since 1977. We provide housing, food banks and education for activities of daily living.

Our goal is rehabilitation. We strive to send individuals and families back to the community with the ability to live and work independently.

We have a very high success rate and a low rate of recidivism.

Samaritan Inn is dedicated to meeting the needs of homeless families.

The program’s inception, due in large part to the dedicated efforts of Sister Thomasina Gebhard of the Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother, helped to alleviate the impoverishment caused by the economy and the forced closing of farms in Sussex County.

901 Swartswood Road Newton, New Jersey 07860
Samaritan Inn Homeless shelter front

HOW TO DONATE

Our Mission and Philosophy

Samaritan Inn provides emergency food and temporary shelter to homeless families in Sussex County as well as a program of counseling and skill building in family maintenance and growth. Its core values are:

Service, Social Justice, Competence, Human Dignity

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

What We Have Accomplished

Samaritan Inn shares responsibility with the helping agencies of Sussex County to:

  • Preserve the dignity of the individual
  • Relieve human suffering
  • Offer sanctuary to the homeless
  • Alleviate hopelessness
  • Exercise good stewardship of resources

All non-disabled residents of Samaritan Inn are working in skills training programs.

In sharing our accomplishments we can be proud that:
Samaritan Inn’s Family Shelter Program is the only program in the County that allows families to remain at the same location in a private apartment. In this realistic setting (of attending school and work, budgeting, housekeeping, cooking, parenting, and transporting themselves independently) residents are practicing the skills they will need to succeed in their new homes.

Samaritan Inn Accomplishments

The past few years:

In the 2017 Fiscal Year:

Family shelter program provided 10,440 nights of shelter for 36 families/124 individuals (56 adults/68 children) in our 10 apartments. Our food pantry provided 26,080 pounds of food to 1,852 clients (1,156 Adults/ 696 Children), distributing over 1,304 bags of food. We taught 109 clients in 121 classes to budget, save money and prepare healthy meals through our Cooking with Coupons program. This program had a total savings of 2,306.23 with a 68% total savings for the program. Our Family Shelter Program in 2017, had an 83% success rate of moving families into permanent housing.

In the 2016 Fiscal Year:

Family shelter program provided 8,322 nights of shelter for 36 families/ 100 individuals (54 children and 46 adults) in our 9 apartments. The food pantry provided 25,080 pounds of food to clients. There were 1,602 food pantry clients served through the food bank, holiday dinner and gift program. There were 1,254 bags of food that were given out to food pantry clients. There were 98 clients taught through our Cooking with Coupons program. Over 2,653 grocery and household items were purchased and given to clients with a cost savings of $2368.09 for the year with using coupons. There were 176 classes that occurred for the parents to learn how to budget, save money, and cook.

In the 2015 Fiscal Year:

Family shelter program provided 5,963 nights of shelter for 30 families (46 children and 35 adults) in our 9 apartments. The food pantry provided 21,040 pounds of food to clients. There were 1,434 food pantry clients served through the food bank, holiday dinner and gift program. There were 1,052 bags of food that were given out to food pantry clients. There were 65 clients taught through our Cooking with Coupons program. Over 2,220 grocery and household items were purchased and given to clients with a cost savings of $2467.27 for the year with using coupons. There were 104 classes that occurred for the parents to learn how to budget, save money, and cook.

In the 2014 Fiscal Year:

Family shelter program provided 8,201 nights of shelter for 30 families (56 children and 38 adults) in our 9 apartments. Also, 30 people were sheltered in the emergency motel program (13 children). The food pantry provided 18,680 pounds of food to clients. There were 1,237 food pantry clients served through the food bank, holiday dinner and gift program. There were 1,165 bags of food that were given out to food pantry clients. There were 117 clients taught through our Cooking with Coupons program. Over 2,353 grocery and household items were purchased and given to clients with a cost savings of $3,404.34 for the year with using coupons. There were 123 classes that occurred for the parents to learn how to budget, save money, and cook.