Good Samaritan Program holds its annual appeal

Intermountain Catholic

+ Enlarge

The Good Samaritan Program serves 100,000 sack lunches per year. A video about the program can be found on Facebook and Youtube at Good Samaritan Program in Salt Lake City. IC photo/Christine Young

SALT LAKE CITY — The Good Samaritan Program is open 365 days a years, 11 hours a day and serves an average of 300 sandwiches a day. It requires more than 200 volunteers to run the program. The Good Samaritan Program is holding its annual appeal and is in need of coats, hats, gloves, scarves, socks, razors, travel size toiletries, toothpaste and tooth brushes.

"When people come to the window for a sack lunch, they ask for these items," said Mark Wondergem, Good Samaritan director for 13 years. "People especially need socks and coats. We don’t stop to think if we are outside and our socks get wet or have holes in them, we can just change to a dry, warm pair. But when one is living on the street and only has one pair, he or she gets cold."

The Good Samaritan Program began in 1984 under the direction of Monsignor M. Francis Mannion, then pastor of the Cathedral of the Madeleine, now pastor of Saint Vincent de Paul Parish.

"At that time, the program received bakery bread that had to be sliced to make sandwiches and volunteers were lucky to make five sack lunches a day," said Wondergem. "We now average 100,000 sack lunches per year."

More sack lunches are given out during the summer and fall, with September and October as the busiest months. "It tapers off during November, and last month we gave out just under 7,000 sandwiches," said Wondergem. "In the winter we also serve hot cocoa. The door hosts keep track of how many sack lunches are given out."

Some of the volunteers have been with the program since it began 27 years ago, some have served several years and some only a few months. Out-of-town volunteers also help out when they are in town.

"I think helping these people is not something we should do, but something we must do," said Claire Brennan, a volunteer for many years and member of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish.

"The Good Samaritan Program is very well known throughout the Salt Lake Valley," said Wondergem. "We don’t question anybody who comes to the door. It doesn’t make any difference if they drive up in a Cadillac or appear in poverty. At every point, somebody needs help. I’ve had people say ‘I used to come there and get sack lunches when I didn’t have a job and I was hungry,’ and now I see those people out in the community doing service work or coming here to volunteer. People often bring in their children to help as door hosts so their children can see the plight of others."

The Good Samaritan Program is interdenominational. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints donates bread, bologna, cheese, and hot cocoa. Wondergem just secured Frito-Lay of Utah as a contributor with the assistance of some volunteers. The Utah Food Bank and Grocery Rescue Program also give donations.

"We get cookies, cakes, meat, eggs, dairy, snacks, fresh fruit and diapers from them," Wondergem said.

More families with children are coming for sack lunches and need blankets and diapers, said Debbie Allred, Good Samaritan volunteer coordinator.

Volunteers receive training and can serve in three-hour shifts beginning at 9 a.m., with the last two-hour shift from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. At Easter and Christmas, youth groups often do sock and coat drives for the program, and put together hygiene kits. The Knights of Columbus also help collect coats at Christmas. During Easter, the area schools decorate the lunch sacks.

"We only give out bologna sandwiches and I’ll never forget a little 4-year-old girl who asked if she could have a hamburger and French fries," said Allred. "The tears welled up as I said, ‘No, but I can give you a bologna sandwich and a can of soda pop.’ She was happy with that."