Hurry to do good or who are the Samaritans?

Article from Etaplius portal https://www.etaplius.lt/skubekime-darija-gera-arba-kas-yra-samarieciai


The Lithuanian Samaritan Community is an organization that has been active for three decades and has more than a thousand volunteers.

The organization started taking the first steps in Kelmė. In this district, on the initiative of the elected member of the Seimas of the White Memory Antanas Račas, who worked in the Foreign Affairs Committee. 1991 In July, acquaintance with the German ASB (Samaritan organization) gave rise to the establishment of such an organization in Lithuania. The Samaritan organization was established in Šiauliai in 1992. On January 25, Genovaitė Karvelienė, the chairwoman of this department, successfully continued the activities of the Samaritans for 20 years.

Currently, the Lithuanian Samaritan Community unites 19 branches: Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipėda, Telšiai, Šiauliai, Radviliškis, Kėdainiai, Jonava, Ukmergė, Zarasai, Trakai, Vievis, Kaunas district, Jurbarkas, Raudone, Pakruojis, Kelmė, Marijampolė and Alytus.

The branches of the Lithuanian Samaritan Community have established dozens of children’s day care centers, provide social assistance to the elderly and single people, and operate charity canteens and food parcel outlets. Šiauliai branch successfully works in the fields of social assistance, youth employment, and visiting single people. Organizes concerts, evenings, performances.

The Samaritans are people who still carry the idea of ​​the Good Samaritan as described in the Bible in their hearts: not to pass by when they need help, not to look away with an outstretched hand. And it doesn’t matter at all: a child, old man or person who has not coped with the challenges and circumstances of personal life needs help.

In the Šiauliai branch, the inspiring example of the older Samaritans led to the emergence of the Young Samaritans. There are groups of Young Samaritans in three schools of Šiauliai: Julius Janonis Gymnasium, Dainai and Romuva Progymnasium. Young Samaritans volunteer at various events in the city and republic, cooperate with other youth and diocesan organizations, organize events, camps, participate in various actions, projects, competitions, organize Kindness campaigns, communicate with Children’s Day Centers, orphanages. Young people do not lack the enthusiasm to return the world without counting their time and energy.

January 25 is the day of the Lithuanian Samaritan Community. This is a great opportunity for everyone to think about what we can do good and beautiful to those around us, or to encourage people whose existence and lives are difficult to seek help, or just to join a Samaritan organization with the motto “Let’s hurry to do good.”

Danutė Kratukienė, a Samaritan from the Šiauliai branch

 

 

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