Good Samaritan Family Resource Center of San Francisco

Good Samaritan Family Resource Center (“Good Samaritan”) was founded in 1894 as a settlement house for immigrants flocking to San Francisco, primarily from Northern Europe.  Our mission is to help immigrant families access needed resources, develop self-sufficiency, and participate fully as members of the San Francisco community.  For over 40 years, our efforts have focused on serving low-income Latino children, youth and their families from Mexico, Central America, and South America.  With a two-generation approach, the comprehensive Spanish-English bilingual services we offer meet the developmental and learning needs of children and improve the health, wellness and self-sufficiency of teens and adults. 

With decades of experience offering services to San Francisco’s immigrant families, we have learned that the most effective way to address the educational, health and economic disparities in our community is through a combination of early childhood education, youth engagement, and parent support programs.  Each year, our activities help prepare nearly 3,000 children, youth and adults to be resilient and successful in school and life.  Good Samaritan’s organization-wide accomplishments include: 

• Helping newcomer youth to connect with peers and engage in school through daily afterschool programs, field trips, wilderness camping, support groups, soccer, summer camp and a vibrant cultural arts program.
• Narrowing the gap in educational achievement for Latino children by providing learning and literacy support in our early childhood and school-based programs.
• More than doubling the statewide rate of enrolled participants who complete English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, facilitating integration into English-speaking environments such as workplaces, neighborhoods and schools. 
• Strengthening family relationships by offering parenting workshops and divorce support programs to improve understanding/communication between parents and their teens, adolescents and children.
• Improving mental and physical health and increasing social connections of parents via weekly support groups, leadership opportunities, postpartum depression support and exercise.
• Family advocacy and individualized case management to help participants navigate new systems such as public school enrollment/lottery, pathways to citizenship, job and housing applications.

• Partnering with Planned Parenthood-Northern California to operate an on-site clinic with family planning services for adults and teens. (Receiving more than 1,000 visits per year, we offer free pregnancy testing, HIV/STD testing, annual exams/pap smears, birth control, and emergency contraception.)

• Enabling parents to participate in our activities by providing free, onsite quality childcare. 

Good Samaritan believes that every child can succeed in life – and they deserve that chance. All funds raised on May 3rd will be give children access to summer camp, a place that provides the support and resources necessary for all children to thrive. Donate today!