The Samaritan Inn and Community Lifeline Center have combined organizations and programming, which have both been supporting the community through homelessness services, food distribution and more for over 30 years, according to a Nov. 5 news release.
The setup
The Samaritan Inn was founded in 1984 as a 10-bed emergency shelter for men, and has since grown to become the largest comprehensive homeless program in Collin County, serving men, women and families, the release states.
The facility can now house 226 residents, and has also grown to include various programming and support for residents. The organization also operates the Gateway Apartments, a transitional housing program to support residents of The Samaritan Inn as they work towards securing permanent housing, the release states.
In 2024, The Samaritan Inn assisted 1,671 community members, including serving nearly 105,000 meals and snacks, and providing over 17,000 hours of direct client care and support.
Community Lifeline Center, which was established in 1989, serves an average of 150 families daily and offers services to 18 cities in Collin County, according to the release. The organization’s services have included:
- A grocery store-style food pantry as well as mobile food distributions
- Emergency financial assistance for rent, utility and crisis funds
- Case management including homeless support services and crisis referrals
“Community Lifeline Center and [The] Samaritan Inn have been in the community for about the same amount of time, and we have had a decades-old partnership,” The Samaritan Inn CEO Jill Scigliano said. “Their services always went hand-in-hand with ours.”
Both organizations are among the five agencies in Collin County that are authorized to serve individuals through the federal Continuum of Care system, which allows for integration of both services and data, according to the release.
The specifics
Through the joining of the two organizations, Community Lifeline Center’s programs, including its McKinney food pantry and emergency assistance services, will continue operations as part of The Samaritan Inn’s organization.
The integration is intended to unify efforts to address both homelessness and food insecurity in Collin County, combining both homelessness prevention and crisis response services, the release states.
“The bottom line for us is having streamlined services for people who need assistance,” Scigliano said. “We're super excited to be partnering ... we think it’s a natural fit.”
The partnership was supported by Better Together Fund, an organization that offers support for nonprofit organization integrations and mergers, through both strategic and financial support, the release states.
“It provides a level of recognition and noticeability in a community when things right now for homeless individuals are getting tougher,” Scigliano said of the organizations integrating. “When we look at the city of McKinney’s ordinances, and we look at the economy, and we look at SNAP benefits being cut, and we look at all of these things together, it's the perfect time for us to combine forces.”
The joining of the organizations also aligned with a strategic goal of The Samaritan Inn to expand the organization’s Food Access Program, which aims to address food insecurity in the community.
“Expanding access to programs and services—especially food access—is a central part of our long-term strategy,” Darion Culbertson, chair of The Samaritan Inn’s board of directors, said in the release. “The Samaritan Inn already distributes over 1,250,000 pounds of food each year, and with this integration, we become one of the largest food and support providers in Collin County—strengthening our ability to prevent homelessness before it starts.”
Quote of note
“This is how we build real, lasting solutions: By combining forces to heal and stabilize our neighbors,” Rick Grady, board member for both organizations and president of the Collin County Homeless Coalition, said in the release. “The Samaritan Inn and Community Lifeline Center amplify one another’s strengths.”
A closer look
Services at the food pantry located at 1601 N. Waddill St. will continue with no interruptions for the next six months while the emergency rent and utility assistance programs will begin operating from The Samaritan Inn’s main offices, the release states.
Staff at the Community Lifeline Center will have the opportunity to apply for roles within The Samaritan Inn, and volunteers of the center will transition to being managed and coordinated through The Samaritan Inn’s volunteer system. Each organization’s board of directors will also formally combine in the coming months, the release states.
Looking ahead
Scigliano said a long-term goal of the integration is to find additional community partners that can contribute to expanding emergency assistance programming, which provides funding for crises that could help prevent a person from becoming homeless, she said.
“It's easier to keep people out of homelessness than it is to wait for them to fall into homelessness and then try to solve that problem, so we want to expand that program,” she said.
A future expansion of The Samaritan Inn’s main campus is also planned, and a capital campaign to support that initiative will be launched in the future, Scigliano said.
Get involved
During Homeless Awareness Week Nov. 17-22, various fundraisers will be held throughout Collin County to support The Samaritan Inn. Planned partnerships include:
- Nov. 17: One and Only Burger, from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. at 1330 N. McDonald St., McKinney
- Nov. 18: Hutchins Barbeque, from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. at 1301 N. Tennessee St., McKinney
- Nov. 19: George’s Coffee, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at 1280 Sam Rayburn Highway, Ste. 700, Melissa
- Nov. 20: A showing of “Beyond the Bridge” at Cinemark North McKinney, from 7-9 p.m. at 1701 N. Hardin Blvd.
For information on volunteer opportunities or other ways to support the organizations, visit www.saminn.org/volunteer and www.saminn.org/give.
