Outstanding Academics and Leadership Merit Award for Two Graduates

SAN ANTONIO, May 19

Good Samaritan Community Services (GSCS) will present Lanier High School graduates, Adriana Cardenas and Fatima Hernandez, with the Helen and Everett Jones Scholar’s Award in an end of year celebration taking place on Thursday, May 26 at 6:00 p.m.

“In addition to academic achievement and promise, The Helen and Everett Jones Scholar’s Award is presented to students who have demonstrated exceptional leadership and service to GSCS, their school, and their community,” Jill Oettinger, GSCS Chief Executive Officer, said.

Ms. Cardenas and Ms. Hernandez will both attend Texas A&M University this fall. The Jones Scholar’s Award will provide each of them with a weekly stipend of $100 to cover any non-tuition expenses, including food, clothing, or books.

All high school seniors enrolled in the GSCS college preparatory program are eligible to apply. The application process, modeled after that of the Gates Millennium Scholarship, is rigorous and competitive. In addition to the nine page application, students must submit personal statements, two letters of recommendation, and participate in a formal interview with the selection committee. Applicants are expected to be leaders in their schools and to have made a significant impact in their community. Of this year’s five finalists, Ms. Cardenas and Ms. Hernandez stood out as the most outstanding among a group of highly accomplished seniors.

Ms. Hernandez and Ms. Cardenas are both enrolled in the International Banking and Business Magnet program at Lanier High School and are involved in a long list of extra-curricular activities. Ms. Hernandez is Vice President of the National Honor Society, President of the National Technical Honor Society, and President of the National Association of Women Business Owners. Ms. Cardenas is a member of Student Council, Vice President of G-Force (a peer education component of a college preparation program), and is Battalion Commander for the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC). Both young women are also accomplished musicians, playing for the Lanier Orchestra and Mariachi group, as well as assisting teachers with the Youth Orchestras of San Antonio program at GSCS.


About Good Samaritan Community Services

For sixty years, Good Samaritan Community Services (GSCS) has been a positive presence on the west side of San Antonio. What began in 1951 as an outreach project of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church is now a non-profit organization serving thousands of people each year across San Antonio and South Texas. Today, GSCS operates a nationally accredited child development program, after-school and summer youth enrichment programs, a college preparatory program, youth employment training, family services, and a nationally accredited senior center. GSCS’s mission, changing lives through excellent community services, is carried out through the delivery of these programs which are designed to foster education, character development, healthy living, and self-sufficiency.

San Antonio Youth Come Together in the Vision of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

SAN ANTONIO, January 14

Good Samaritan Community Services (GSCS) is bringing youth from all backgrounds together to celebrate the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King through a service learning project. On Monday, Jan. 17, GSCS will host 250 students from St. Luke’s Episcopal School to participate in games and team building activities aimed at teaching teamwork and enhancing self-confidence.

“The service learning project is a way to bring youth from diverse upbringings and different parts of San Antonio together to build character while learning about each other and having fun with youth their own age,” Executive Director Jill Oettinger said.

In addition to crafts, games, and relays, participants will paint a mural in one of the GSCS Youth Department classrooms. As many across the country engage in a day of service this holiday, this is one of the ways Good Samaritan and St. Luke’s are honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

GSCS Youth Program Manager Jennifer Cook said, “In the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, GSCS and St. Luke’s Episcopal School want to instill Dr. King’s powerful message in these children.”


About Good Samaritan Community Services

Since its founding in 1951, GSCS has actively served as a place of change, reaching out to support individuals and families in overcoming the impact of poverty. Our mission, changing lives through excellent community services, is carried out through the delivery of programs and services designed to foster education, character development, healthy living and self-sufficiency. Today the center changes the lives of thousands of people each year through our nationally accredited child development program, after-school youth enrichment, college preparation programs, youth employment training and adult and senior services.

Good Samaritan Community Services Distributes Christmas Baskets to Families in Need

SAN ANTONIO, December 20

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas at Good Samaritan Community Services (GSCS) on San Antonio’s near west side. More than 470 bags brimming with canned vegetables, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and frozen chickens were distributed to families in need Friday, December 17.

“The holidays can be a difficult time for a family trying to make ends meet so giving the gift of a beautiful Christmas dinner they can share with their family is a blessing,” GSCS Chief Executive Officer, Jill Oettinger, said.

For more than ten years, Good Samaritan Community Services has, through the help of volunteers and philanthropists, provided Christmas baskets to needy families. Churches, schools, and other community volunteers collected items to make the perfect holiday meal along with something that makes the holidays special like ornaments, cards, and gingerbread houses. GSCS staff and volunteers collected, organized, and distributed the bags to selected families in the community. Over 400 families came to GSCS seeking assistance this holiday season and with 420 families registered to receive Christmas baskets, it is sure to be a memorable day for everyone involved.


About Good Samaritan Community Services:

Since its founding in 1951, GSCS has actively served as a place of change, reaching out to support individuals and families in overcoming the impact of poverty. Our mission, changing lives through excellent community services, is carried out through the delivery of programs and services designed to foster education, character development, healthy living and self-sufficiency.