As a student from Japan, I came to Good Samaritan this summer as a volunteer to help out at the Child Development Center. I was surrounded by wonderful staff and clients. I got a lot of support and had a great time helping and getting help here. This has been one of the highlights of my stay in San Francisco.

Good Samaritan Family Resource Center, Inc. was founded by the Episcopal Diocese in 1894 as a settlement house for new immigrants to San Francisco. Its mission was, and is, to help immigrant families access needed services, develop self-sufficiency, and participate fully as members of the San Francisco community.

Throughout its 114-year history, Good Samaritan has provided to tens of thousands of immigrants the support needed to succeed in their new community. In its early years, Irish, German, Portuguese, Italian and other immigrants arrived in San Francisco’s Mission District and found a home-away-from-home at Good Samaritan. In the 1960’s and 70’s, Good Samaritan helped resettle Native Americans and, as Latin American immigrants began to settle in the Mission District, responded by offering services in Spanish. Good Samaritan also joined the Sanctuary Movement of the 1980’s and offered shelter and services to Central American refugees fleeing war and poverty.

After receiving serious damage to its original building during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, the Good Samaritan Board of Directors, the Episcopal Bishop of California, local individuals, and foundations completed a successful capital campaign to build the new 15,000 square foot Family Resource Center. Good Samaritan also partnered with Mission Housing Development Corporation to fund and build 20 affordable family housing units of as part of the Good Samaritan Renewal Project. The new Good Samaritan Family Resource Center, Inc and Good Samaritan Apartments opened in April, 1997.

Every year, Good Samaritan Family Resource Center serves more than 2,500 children, youth, individuals and families via an array of services provided by Good Samaritan staff and community partners. The majority of our families are recent immigrants from rural areas of Mexico and Central and South America, and most of these adults and children live at or below the poverty level.