the Samaritan APp

Does this situation sound familiar? You’re running errands and you see a man on the street corner with his cardboard sign that says “Anything Helps.” You want to help, but giving money doesn’t seem like a wise option. You have to ask, does “anything” really help?

This is why Open Door has partnered with Samaritan, a program that allows you to give money directly to someone experiencing homelessness in a way that gives dignity and shows transparency. Here’s how it works:

We are enrolling some of our Family Room guests that we have established relationships with to be come Samaritan Members. Once they are enrolled, they get a “smart wallet” which helps them set goals to work towards obtaining housing and employment.

You can download the Samaritan app and give directly to our Samaritan Members. These funds are released to them on a VISA debit card by Open Door staff once they complete their goals.

Mike H was our first participant to sign up as a Samaritan Member. Mike met with us to set goals as he works toward finding housing and employment. Mike’s first goal is to get his Colorado ID. We will help him achieve this goal, and once he has his ID in hand we will release funds to him on a debit card. He has also shared on the app that he is in need of new phone. People can donate directly to this need and our staff will release the funds to Mike for this purpose.

Ready to get involved? The first step is downloading the free app!