The Samaritan Inn’s Gateway Apartments

Help Over That Last Hurdle

Your first apartment - remember the swell of pride, the feeling of finally being a "grown-up?" Fresh out of school or newly married, you were on your own, independent and determined to show the world that you could make it.  For most of us it’s a pleasant memory, an early beginning to adult lives filled with career achievements and personal accomplishments. 

But for many in Collin County, one of the richest counties in Texas, it’s an impossible dream. Adult lives have taken a turn for the worse for any number of reasons: bad circumstances, bad timing or bad luck. Many have encountered job losses, catastrophes, health crises or personal struggles, and they have found themselves ultimately, homeless.

Some of the lucky ones find their way to The Samaritan Inn in McKinney, Collin County’s only shelter.  There they receive counseling and career guidance and, through Samaritan Inn-dustries, practical work experience to help rebuild their lives.  But successful ‘graduates’ of the Inn – those who have found a job and are ready to re-enter society – most often encounter another obstacle: moving to an apartment becomes impossible because monthly rent is out of reach and they have been unable to save enough with entry-level wages. 

The Samaritan Inn has found a way for Inn graduates to leap the last hurdle of homelessness - truly affordable housing that serves as a transition between the Inn and independent living. The newly-built and privately-funded North Texas Gateway Apartments, located directly across from the Inn on Highway 5, will allow Inn residents who qualify to live in a one-or two-bedroom, fully-appointed unit for up to 18 months at greatly reduced rates. Gateway’s convenient location will allow graduates to continue to receive counseling and other programs at the Inn.  As a final gesture of support, the Inn will encourage Gateway residents to take all of their apartment’s furnishings and household goods with them when they move, so they don’t have to start over . . . again. 

Gateway’s twenty units will open soon, and thanks to the generosity of the community, all of the units have been “adopted”. Adopters are individuals, businesses and community groups who have taken on a challenge set forth by the Inn: to fully furnish and supply all household goods, once or on an ongoing basis, for Gateway units. 

And accept the challenge, they have. The first adopters include McKinney residents Sally Box, Tonya Knott and Rene Teague. Each has chosen to furnish an apartment by donating their own items and asking friends, colleagues and businesses to contribute more. They decided to become Gateway adopters after hearing about the innovative program at LINKS, a weekly McKinney Chamber of Commerce networking meeting designed to help Chamber members make new meaningful business contacts.  When Samaritan Inn Executive Director Lynne Sipiora made the presentation, it moved Box.

“I truly believe bad things can happen to good people,” Box said, “and I want to share with those who have come across hard times.” 

“We are blessed,” all three adopters agreed, “and we want to make a tangible difference in helping others rebuild their lives.” 

Community support has been ‘remarkable’ according to Box.  “I’m amazed. I have always known McKinney is a caring and giving community. I never realized how generous it is,” she said. 

“I know the residents will see this is not just a handout, but the strength of the community helping someone in need,” Teague said. 

Teague, owner of Rene’s Lagniappe Hair Design, lost her home and everything in it due to a storm when her children were young. 

“I feel their pain and know how important it is to have a home with your own things,” Teague related.  She has met the single male resident who will live in the apartment she is filling and says, “He is so humble. He told me I didn’t have to get all the items on the (suggested) list, just a bed and something to put his clothes in. I want to make the apartment as much like a man his age would want.” 

Because the three women have been able to meet their apartments’ residents and learn about them, they are taking their generosity a step further and tailoring the apartments to the residents’ tastes and interests. Teague discovered her resident’s hobby - fishing - and enthused, “Wow, can I ever go with that one!”

Knott, founder of McKinney Makeover Network, “has been spreading the word everywhere I can.” Through her network’s group of volunteers, Knott has already helped residents of the Inn with clothing, makeovers, resumes, job searches and more.  She and her husband Kevin host and maintain The Samaritan Inn’s website; now they are helping a single father and his 16-year-old daughter as they move into Gateway.

“We want to furnish the apartment with things they will love,” Knott said. 

The Knotts asked about the teen’s favorite colors, movies and classes, too.

“We have a complete queen size bedroom donated with a beautiful designer comforter and matching sheets in colors she will love. We also have a desk, computer, printer and monitor for her. I believe she will be really excited about this because she is a good student”, said Knott. “We truly want to make their new apartment a home for them.” 

Inn residents chosen to be the First Families (as one resident aptly put it) to occupy the new apartments all agreed that they have been “blessed beyond our imaginations” first by finding their way to the Inn and then by being selected for Gateway. 

“My main concern [before coming to the Inn] was the safety of my children,” said one mother of three. “This is a shelter that allows you and your family to actually live in the facility without having to leave on a daily basis and try to make it back for a place to eat and sleep. Since day one here I have been focused on getting employed and going back to school. I enrolled in October. Now I can save up money in order to purchase our first home and keep it.”

“We had to choose people who we thought had the biggest potential for success. They had to ‘get’ what our program was about; it’s not just a place to crash," said Sipiora,

Aaron is one who gets it. He believes he and his daughter were chosen to live at Gateway because he’s tried to be a role model for other Inn residents. 

“I spoke with them and told them to look at their lives and examine what got them to this point; tried to get them to be thankful that being here gives you a chance to reflect, take a breath and make some changes. Here, our counselors have taught us how to make the right decisions and not repeat the same mistakes. When they approached me for Gateway, I considered it an honor. Now my daughter and I can show the other residents, this is what you need to do to equip yourself to become the best you can be, to give it the best you’ve got,” he said.

Sixteen-year-old Guyler believes that being grateful, trying harder and not giving up on schoolwork has helped her to stay focused.  She plans to finish high school and graduate from Baylor University.

When asked what he’d advise others who hope to move to Gateway, Stephen said; “It’s simple: give back, take time out for others, work hard and stay positive.”  He looks forward to having his own place where his son can visit, and to another simple pleasure: barbecuing on his new patio.

Gateway will open in March. A ribbon-cutting ceremony and community celebration, open to the public, will be held on the Gateway grounds at 1723 N. McDonald St. in McKinney on Wednesday, April 9 at noon. For more information, visit thesamaritaninn.org.