Randy Sams’ Outreach Shelter Plans Open House and Ribbon Cutting

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The Randy Sams’ Outreach Shelter is hosting an open house, ribbon cutting and memorial dedication. At 10 am on July 22, 2017, the doors of the newly renovated and air-conditioned Randy Sams’ Outreach Shelter at 402 Oak Street will open to the public as we bless the building and host an open house for the public see the renovations that took place during our expansion. At 11 am we invite the public to our new Outreach Center at 803 Spruce Street to tour the Center, and be there for the ribbon cutting, blessing of the building, memorial garden dedication and more.

The event will feature tours of the new facility, including the newly renovated area for our job training program Be the Blessing, the blessing of and ribbon cutting for our new Outreach Center, and the dedication of the Eric Denson Memorial Garden. Lunches will be available for $10 and will include chicken spaghetti, green beans, bread, and the outstanding bread pudding from our job training program. There will also be bread pudding, t-shirts, and cookbooks available for purchase.

The new facility includes office space for our case management team, administrative staff, a library for our clients, computer lab with brand new equipment and software so our clients can improve job skills, apply for jobs, and research any information needed to accomplish important goals, a large conference room that can be used by community members, a chapel area, training space as well as a newly installed commercial kitchen and display area for our job training program Be the Blessing.

The renovated Shelter includes a space that can house up to 133 people at a time, including a women’s area that houses twice the number of women than it could previously, central heat and air, an enclosed kitchen and additional pantry space.
The Randy Sams’ Outreach Shelter, Inc., a 501 c(3) organization, was developed as a product of a labor of love. Randy Sams was a local teenager who volunteered at the local Outreach Kitchen. In May 1993, Randy was tragically killed. In honor of their son, Randy’s parents donated land and seed money to establish a shelter that would serve the Greater Texarkana community, hungry, poor, and homeless. The RSOS opened on January 6, 1996, and now averages between 85-95 guests per night. To date, the RSOS has transitioned over 1250 clients to permanent housing from the RSOS and over 13,000 community clients have received utility assistance, rental assistance and food baskets.

The community can help by providing monetary support, or donations of food, clothing, hygiene, and cleaning supplies as well as paper goods and towels, sheets, and other household items. Many volunteer opportunities are available.

For more information or to volunteer please contact Randy Sams’ at jenniferlaurent@cableone.net or call 903-792-7024.

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