The neighborhood of the Samaritan Center is more vibrant because of caring individuals who express their love for our community through giving of their time and talents.
Almost every day the Samaritan Center was open, Troy Moss was in the volunteer room. He would cover sharp knives with tape to be sold safely in the stores, assemble sets of utensils to be sold, or do any other task to be of service. Troy lived out his belief that hard work was good for the soul and, through his efforts, wanted to provide for his neighbors in need. Our volunteer room isn’t the same these days, as Troy passed away in October 2021. Troy’s positive outlook on life and sense of humor brightened our volunteer room and all who interacted with him.
Another group of dedicated volunteers showing their love for their neighbors is our group of Saturday night volunteers. Groups from Ooltewah Seventh-day Adventist Church, South Bay Seventh-day Adventist Church, Blueprint for Men, Hamilton Community Church, and X church with the dedication of the Cordwell family. Our warehouse attendants serve our donors all week, except between Friday at 3 pm and Sunday at noon. During this time, our supportive community continues to donate their items, and the quantity of donations can fill up our donation dock. As an act of service and support for our ministry, these volunteer groups come in on Saturday night to bring the donations into our warehouse. This weekly activity helps keep our donor’s items protected from the weather. It reduces the number of objects our warehouse associates need to move on Sunday to prepare more donors. Our Saturday night donation dock volunteers gift our thrift team an incredible gift so that everyone together can care better for our neighbors.