Removing Roadblocks: How a New Vehicle is Driving Recovery at Samaritan Works

At Samaritan Works, Inc., every mile matters.

As a faith-based nonprofit sober living program, our mission is to walk alongside individuals as they rebuild their lives and embrace a sober lifestyle. We provide not just housing, but a healing, compassionate, faith-filled environment where our residents can grow, connect, and rediscover their purpose. Recovery isn’t just about abstaining from substances—it’s about overcoming the barriers that stand in the way of a fresh start.

One of the biggest barriers we see every day? Transportation.

Many of our residents arrive without a driver’s license, Social Security card, or even a birth certificate. To truly support them, we must help them get to where they need to be: medical and mental health appointments, job interviews, court or probation check-ins—and sometimes even picking them up from jail or a detox facility. Without reliable transportation, these critical steps in the recovery process become overwhelming or even impossible.

Thanks to the generous support of a $20,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Shelby County, that barrier is now behind us.

With this funding, we were able to purchase a company vehicle—a true game-changer for our program. We now transport residents more than 12 times per week, and the vehicle has quickly become a vital tool in our daily operations. Beyond serving our residents’ immediate needs, the vehicle is also used to pick up donations and supplies, take residents to grocery stores, and provide access to sober events and opportunities outside the city limits. It also ensures staff are not using personal vehicles for transportation—removing liability and improving safety, as all staff drivers have completed a certified safe driving course.

This vehicle isn’t just transportation—it’s a lifeline.

More Than Just a Place to Stay

We want the community to know: Samaritan Works isn’t just a shelter. We’re a Level 2 certified sober living home through Ohio Recovery Homes, undergoing annual inspections to meet the highest standards of accountability and care. We create a family-like atmosphere filled with support, structure, and grace. Our goal is simple but powerful: reduce relapse, support recovery, and keep people out of jail or the hospital.

Addiction doesn’t discriminate. Our residents are sons, daughters, parents, friends, and neighbors—real people rebuilding their lives with courage and hope.

Powered by Community

Our work is only possible because of the incredible support we receive from others. Samaritan Works is funded by Shelby County United Way, local foundations, grants, private donors, and the residents themselves, who contribute participation fees. We’re especially grateful to the Shelby County Community Foundation, whose ongoing support has helped us serve more people in more impactful ways.

We are also guided by a dedicated board of directors and a small but mighty team of two full-time staff members who live out our mission every day.

Final Thoughts

The road to recovery is not always easy—but with the right support, it’s absolutely possible. Thanks to this new vehicle and the generous donors who made it possible, our residents are no longer stuck. They’re moving forward—one appointment, one interview, one grocery trip at a time.

And that, to us, is the real meaning of progress.