SAMMinistries
Audio By Carbonatix
Phone: 210-340-0302 | WEBSITE
During a cold winter morning in 1981, the problems of the homeless were brought into stark perspective for the members of First Presbyterian Church in downtown San Antonio. A homeless man, frozen to death, was found on the church grounds. In response, volunteers started a ministry in the church gymnasium to shelter and care for the growing number of homeless individuals.
By 1983 this program, having gained financial assistance of several downtown churches, was incorporated as San Antonio Metropolitan Ministry, Inc. (SAMMinistries). Today SAMMinistries has a staff of more than 70 and is supported by thousands of volunteers who help families and individuals throughout San Antonio on their path to self-sufficiency.
SAMMinistries meets clients “where they are.” With programs in all areas of HUD’s Continuum of Care, we provide a holistic approach that best suits each clients’ needs. Whether it is one-time assistance with rent and utilities; helping them establish affordable and sustainable housing, or living in our transitional housing facility while working to overcome homelessness, each client is treated with dignity and compassion.
Mission: SAMMinistries is an interfaith ministry whose mission is to help the homeless and those at risk of becoming homeless attain self-sufficiency by offering, with dignity and compassion, shelter, housing, and services. SAMMinistries also provides volunteers opportunities to be renewed and fulfilled as they serve.
Over the last few years, SAMMinistries has worked to strengthen our service delivery to families and individuals who are on the brink of homelessness. We sought out dedicated funding to enable us to serve veterans who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, ensuring that SAMMinistries was one of the agencies who collaborated with the City of San Antonio to end veteran homelessness. We also secured a second stream of funding that provides unique services to prevent homelessness for one of the city’s most vulnerable populations: seniors.
Recognizing that homelessness is a trauma and that health conditions are found at high rates within the homeless population, Navarra and his team worked to overhaul the ministry’s approach to caring for homeless families over the last two years to lay the foundation for a shift towards the use of a Trauma Informed Care approach to supporting families as they work to overcome homelessness. This approach better addresses the underlying trauma and victimization that clients have endured and is an evidenced-based practice that is utilized and supported by national service providers and funders.
