Good Samaritan Center Thrives During Pandemic

Just when the community would need more help than ever before, volunteers nationwide were justifiably scared to serve and donors held their money tight due to uncertainty. God answered the prayers of The Good Samaritan Center (GSC) of Douglas County by providing more much more than could be reasonably expected. In fact, 2020 turned out to be the most successful year in its history.

During the pandemic the GSC never shut down operations for a single day. Moreover, it added evening service hours because it had ample donations of food and volunteer workers. The effort paid off: the Douglasville pantry served over one million pounds of food to 15,439 households over the first year of the pandemic.

“When distribution increased, so did the need for a refrigerated truck, forklift, pallet racks, and more volunteers. God provided all these things for us through grants and partnerships,” said Tammy Kone, Executive Director of the Good Samaritan Center. “We also received a donation to pay off our building, allowing us to divert money spent on the mortgage to additional services for the community.”

Those additional services included rent, utility and prescription assistance while clients were unemployed or underemployed during the pandemic. The GSC also served as a free vaccination site.

"Atlanta Community Food Bank truly values its long-standing partnership with Good Samaritan Center of Douglas County," said Kyle Waide, President and CEO of Atlanta Community Food Bank. “Everyone has been through such an incomprehensible year, filled with uncertainty, but we’ve also seen compassion and kindness throughout these hard times. The incredible work Good Samaritan does makes an enormous impact for those Georgians facing food insecurity."

“I thank God for his provision during this unprecedented season,” said Kone. “In order to keep GSC thriving, we have an opportunity for a director of development so anyone interested in serving with us should visit our Facebook page for the job description and contact information.”

The Good Samaritan Center of Douglas County began providing food, emergency aid, and emotional/spiritual support to our low-income neighbors in 1983. Since 2013, we have more than quadrupled the number of clients served and pounds of food distributed. GSC relies on the donations of time from our weekly staff of 30+ volunteers and monetary gifts & in-kind donations from churches, individuals and businesses to carry out its mission. The Center is open Monday-Thursday 9am-12:30pm, Friday from 9am-11:30am and Thursday evenings from 5pm to 7pm.