Good Samaritan

A Samaritan traveling the road came upon him. When he saw the man’s condition, his heart went out to him. He gave him first aid, cleaning and bandaging his wounds. Then he lifted him onto his donkey, led him to an inn, and made him comfortable. In the morning he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper, and said, “Take good care of him. And if it costs any more, I’ll pay you back when I return.”

These words of Jesus served to call members of United Church of Christ (UCC) congregations in the Tristate area to build a facility, which would be founded on Christian principles and dedicated to loving care of those who could no longer care for themselves.

After eight years of dedication and hard-work on the part of those churches, the first four residents came to live at the Home on January 15, 1962.

From its beginning, the Home grew to offer 122 skilled nursing beds, 18 residential apartments, and 76 beds across three unique Memory Care communities. The mission of The Good Samaritan Home has always been to provide a caring community through an atmosphere of Christian love and concern.

The Good Samaritan Home is owned by the UCC churches of the Evansville Tri-State Association, the Lincolnland Association, and two congregations of the Wabash Valley Association. The Home is governed by a Board of Directors and is a member of the Indiana/Kentucky Conference of the United Church of Christ, and The Council of Health and Human Service Ministries of The United Church of Christ.

On June 30, 2023, The Good Samaritan Home, Inc., sold its facility and operations to another provider. Going forward, Good Sam Inc. will remain a not-for-profit corporation, with the future in the hands of its members. We’ve established an office at Bethel UCC in Evansville and have secured several contracted employees to assist the Board and Membership, including Rev. Michael Erwin as our Executive Director.

The Board began a yearlong discernment process in 2023, guided by the membership’s call to explore new ways to address poverty, mental health, and senior care. After extensive research and dialogue, the Board presented a unified plan that brings these priorities together in one mission with two initiatives: a $5 million, five-year grantmaking program to support affordable housing in southwestern Indiana, and a $1 million partnership with the University of Southern Indiana to expand access to mental health and senior care through social work education and outreach.

These efforts continue Good Samaritan’s legacy of compassionate service, rooted in Christian love and concern. The plan was unanimously affirmed by the membership in its May 2025 Annual Meeting. Over the coming months, the Board and Staff will begin implementing the framework for both initiatives. This includes:

• Developing a grant application process for the housing initiative.
• Collaborating with USI’s Social Work Department to formalize the education and outreach partnerships.
• Making updates to policies, legal filings, and procedures to support the new mission.

We are excited to move forward with purpose and clarity, and grateful to be doing so in partnership with many in our community.