Lift Up Saginaw

One child,
One family,
One neighborhood at a time

Samaritas has a long history of providing services and care for disadvantaged communities in Michigan, dating back to our first community center established in the 1930s. We embrace the responsibility God has given us to serve vulnerable people to the very best of our ability. An excellent example is the Samaritas Community Center (formerly called Neighborhood House), in Saginaw’s urban Southside.

South Saginaw is not an easy place to raise a family, largely due to a lack of economic and educational opportunities. Many residents face daily concerns regarding safety, and suffer financial hardship that limits their access to affordable healthy eating choices or even the use of a home computer. According to the most current U.S. Census:

♦  The federal government defines an area as poor if 50% of children at the local school qualify for free or reduced meals, in South East Saginaw nearly 100% qualify for free or reduced meals.

♦  The median household income is less than half the U.S. average ($56,604).

♦  Roughly 47 percent of the grandparents in the community are responsible for raising at least one grandchild.

♦  The unemployment rate is 14.9 percent, three times the national average.

♦  Both child and adult obesity rates are higher than the national average.

The Community Center provides a safe haven for children in challenging neighborhoods. Children are welcomed after school to focus on homework and safe extracurricular activities. Families are welcomed in the evenings for a hot meal. Adolescents and young adults find safety in Community Center, Saginaw during the day, along with guidance toward education and job placement, as well as building the courage to stay away from the lure of local gangs.