1. LIKE MOTHER...
5 THINGS TO
DONATE TODAY 5
...like children. Roxana dedicated
herself to improving her education.
Now her children are following suit!
2
ON THE JOB:
NEW CAREER,
NEW LIFE 4
LEAVE A LEGACY:
A SIMPLE WAY
TO GIVE 3
MAKE A BIG
DIFFERENCE
THIS MAY 1
samm.org
Spring Edition 2015

2. 1
Dear SAMMinistries Supporters,
From eviction to graduation, read Roxana’s story
on page 3, and visit www.samm.org for more stories of success.
This spring I was once again reminded how incredible our community of supporters really is! From
Street2Feet to Empty Bowls, your support is endless. Thank you to every volunteer, runner and
attendee that helped make these events successful.
As we look toward May, we are gearing up for the 2nd Annual Big Give SA. Last year your generosity
placed us as the No. 1 organization in San Antonio, meaning you gave $41,448 to help San Antonio
families in just 24 hours! We hope that you will help us reach our goal of $100,000 this year on
May 5th by making your online gift at www.TheBigGiveSA.org. Our friends at the Genevieve and Ward
Orsinger Foundation have agreed to match donations up to $25,000 so your gift helps twice
as many people in need!
Thank you for supporting us in the past. We look forward to many more years of providing help,
hope and home to families in San Antonio.
God bless,
Navarra R. Williams
President and CEO
1 Pledge to make your May 5 gift on the attached
form or online at www.samm.org.
2 Share your pledge with your friends and family.
3 Make your gift to on May 5th
at thebiggivesa.org.
On May 5, 2015, SAMMinistries will join San Antonio for 24 hours of nonprofit giving during the Big Give
SA. It’s your day to make a real impact for San Antonio families facing homelessness. Help us reach our
Big Give goal of $100,000 to keep 188 families out of homelessness by pledging to make your gift to
SAMMinistries on May 5th.

3. Transitional Living and Learning
Center. She knew that she wanted to
make the most out of the two-year
program, and she immediately began
taking steps toward independence.
“Volunteers came from different
companies to help us practice
interviews, which was so important
to me as I looked toward graduation
and began to plan for entering the
job market,” said Roxana. She also
regained control of her finances.
“Having to save 30% of my income
was such a help for us. It taught me to
have better control over my finances,
and it helped give us a safety net for
the future.”
With no family living nearby,
Roxana, Daniela and Cesar formed
a new kind of support system at
SAMMinistries. “Living with other
families was helpful because we
were going through the same things.
Our backgrounds were completely
different, but we would all sit together
and eat like a family. In those times
when it’s important to have family, we
did.”
Within 18 months, Roxana had
completed her goal and moved out of
the Transitional Living and Learning
Center. She and her children are
thriving thanks to your generous
donations.
This summer, Roxana will graduate
from Texas A&M San Antonio with
a Bachelor’s degree, and begin her
career as a Licensed Interpreter for
the deaf. Roxana’s daughter, Daniela,
graduated from high school and,
following in her mother’s footsteps,
is taking classes at SAC to become a
sign language teacher. Her son, Cesar,
is a Freshman in high school and
was recently promoted to the Varsity
wrestling team.
Roxana looks back on her time at
SAMMinistries fondly, “Our time at
SAMMinistries is a historical marker
in our lives. A marker for a new
beginning, for positive change.”
so she began to look for other options.
“SAMMinistries was on a list of
service providers that I received from
a friend. I remember just working
down the list, calling each program
to see where my family would fit.”
Within days of her first call, Roxana
began coming to SAMMinistries to
complete the three interviews required
for acceptance into the Transitional
Living and Learning Center. The day
after Roxana and her children were
evicted from their apartment, they
received the keys to their new room at
SAMMinistries.
Roxana recalls her first day at the
Transitional Living and Learning
Center: “I remember going into the
new room and there were lots of new
things on the bed. We had to leave
everything behind at our apartment.
It was like a glimpse of hope in the
darkness we were going through.
That was part of the support that
SAMMinistries gave us. It started on
day one, and that support was constant
throughout the time we stayed here.”
Roxana’s goal was always to be
stable enough to move out of the
2
W
hen Roxana left a 14-
year domestic violence
relationship, she had nowhere
to turn. She had no family in Texas,
so she and her two young children,
Daniela and Cesar, were on their own.
Roxana took a low-paying job, but the
bills began to pileup. It was then that
she had an epiphany, she could either
live like this, barely able to afford her
monthly bills for the rest of her life, or
she could make a change.
Roxana decided to make a change
and enrolled in classes at San
Antonio College (SAC), pursuing
her Associate’s Degree. She worked
during the day and attended classes
at night. Her 12-year-old daughter
would help make dinner and watch
her younger brother while Roxana
was in class. “I felt guilty, I wanted to
be at home to cook dinner and finish
homework with my children,” Roxana
remembers.
Just a few months into her first
semester, the bills became too much
for Roxana to handle. She knew her
family was on the verge of eviction,
SAMMinistries helped
us stay afloat.“ ”

4. CREATE A LASTING
LEGACY
Consider including a gift to
SAMMinistries in your will. In doing
so, you help to ensure our mission will
continue into the future.
A NEW LEASE FOR
A BELOVED HOME
Visit samm.org/planned-giving.
MORE INFORMATION
fter 27 years traveling with the United States
Air Force as a Physical Therapist, Colonel
Hannah Margolis settled into the first home she
ever owned in San Antonio.
As a newcomer to the city, Hannah began to volunteer with
SAMMinistries in the 1980s, and has remained an avid
supporter ever since.
Looking toward the future, Hannah decided that she could
think of no better way to support the Ministry she loves and
trusts than by helping others find a place to call home. For
this reason, Hannah graciously listed SAMMinistries as the
beneficiary of her house.
“I thought that this would be a good thing for both of us.
That SAMMinistries could enjoy the use of the house later,
and that I would leave a family with no responsibilities in
caring for the house,” said Hannah.
In the future, SAMMinistries families will have the
opportunity to start a new life in Hannah’s home. “There
is a very beautiful inner feeling when you give like that, if
you can give like that,” said Hannah about giving her home
to the Ministry. “This is SAMM’s house now. I will keep
it in good shape, and someday someone else will have the
benefits that I have.”
A
3
Even when we’re gone, our dollars
will be put to good use supporting
the mission to transform the lives
of the homeless.
“
”
TYPES OF BEQUESTS
1
2
3
A specific amount gives a stated
sum (ex: $10,000) to the beneficiary
you name.
Specific property gives a particular item
(ex: car, home, stock holding) to the
beneficiary you name.
A residual gift gives a percentage from
1 to 100 of what remains in your estate
after other bequests, debts and taxes
have been paid. This popular way
of dividing your estate allows you to
keep your gifts in proportion to your
estate size.
Contact Andrea Hofstetter at 210-321-5611
or ahofstetter@samm.org for additional
information on planned giving or to talk more
about the personal benefits of leaving a legacy
at SAMMinistries.

5. usan entered SAMMinistries’
program as a woman who had
both accomplished a great deal
personally and who had seen more
than her fair share of setbacks. She
had suffered the loss of her job in
order to care for her disabled child.
After securing care for her son, she
found re-entering the work force to be
much more difficult than expected. In
the midst of struggling to find work,
Susan’s marriage ended, catapulting
both her and her children into
homelessness.
Soon after entering SAMMinistries’
Transitional Housing, Susan
was referred to the Employment
Development Program. “When I
first met Susan, the woman who sat
before me was one who was trying
with all her might to create a better
life for her children. She was pushing
herself to continuously further her
education, she was applying to every
job lead that crossed her path, she
sacrificed sleep and meals to ensure
her children had enough, yet she
had become so burdened by her
struggle that she could not see her
own accomplishments,” said Robert
Mendoza, Manager of Workforce
Development.
SAMM SUCCESS STORY
Dinner Discussion
Are children homeless?
Although you may not see children on the street, there
are many children facing homelessness throughout our
city. Homeless children often stay at the houses of their
friends and family, in their parents’ car, or in shelters.
Did you Know:
• More than half of the people SAMMinistries serves
are children.
• SAMMinistries provides a place to call home for 350
families every night.
Contact Andrea to schedule a tour of our facilities, and learn more about our
programs at 210-321-5611 or ahofstetter@samm.org.4
The Workforce Development team
helped Susan revise her resume,
practice interview skills and enrolled
her in SAMMinistries’ On the Job
Training Program. She was quickly
placed in administrative training at
Christian Hope Resource Center.
Weeks after her administrative
training, Susan received a call
to interview at Lowe’s Home
Improvement and received a job
offer on the spot! She has begun
working at Lowe’s as a Customer
Service Associate and is on the path
to creating a bright future for herself
and her family!
S
ON THE JOB: NEW CAREER, NEW LIFE
THANK YOU
The amount of help, support and
encouragement that donors and volunteers
gave to us was just overwhelming. I don’t
think most donors or volunteers get to see the
true impact that they make in our lives, but
it’s incredible. It’s a blessing. When we came
to SAMMinistries, we never expected the
welcome or the support we received. While
we were living at SAMMinistries, we needed
to know that people cared for us, and because
of the donors and volunteers, we did.
former TLLC resident
Roxana, mother of 2.

6. I pledge to make an extra gift a gift to SAMMinistries on May 5th.
Gifts securely accepted at
www.samm.org or 210-340-0302
$___________________
Credit Card–Please charge my gift to my credit card. Check–I have included a check made payable to SAMMinistries.
Card Number Security CodeExpiration Date
SignatureCardholder’s Name (as it appears on card)
Phone NumberEmail Address
We never sell or rent our supporters’ names or personal information. 15AN
Here is my gift to help families facing homelessness this spring.
SPRING CLEANING: 5 THINGS TO DONATE TODAY
Upon entering the Transitional Living and
Learning Center, families are given a “Welcome
Basket” of goods to give them a fresh start.
Welcome baskets include essential household
items, for example: sheets, blankets, pots
and pans, dishes, trash cans and cleaning
supplies.
Help the families served by SAMMinistries keep
their new homes clean and tidy, by providing
them with basic cleaning essentials.
Donate new cleaning supplies at the
SAMMExpress Donation Station:
5246 Blanco Road
Tuesday–Friday 9:00am–6:00pm
Saturday 10:00am–3:00pm
SPONGE MOPS
BUCKETS
TOILET CLEANER
BROOMS
GENERAL CLEANER