Our Vision
The primary vision of Friends of Samaritan’s Place (FSP) is for Samaritan’s Place to be empowered and equipped to fulfill its mission of “building a hope and a future” by providing high quality care and services for orphaned, abandoned and neglected children; marginalized communities; and families seeking to adopt.
FSP envisions a diverse, dynamic and organized network of friends volunteering time, skills and resources to help SAMARITAN’s, Inc. and develop communities to solve their own economic/social problems; to be an advocate/agent in the legal adoption process, both nationally and internationally.
Our Mission
The mission of FSP is to mobilize human and financial resources to empower and equip SAMARITAN’s, Inc. and to implement operational activities that support, strengthen and augment the vision, mission and goals of SAMARITAN’s and it’s partner affiliates.
FSP specifically facilitates strategic introductions and develops platforms of information that invite potential stakeholders to become interested and get personally involved. The mission of Friends of Samaritan’s Place is to manage donor development, fundraising, capital management and coordination of auxiliary programs.
Stewardship Model
FSP is a unique charitable organization. In addition to being debt free, FSP’s fiscal goals and purposes are not focused on its own success and sustainability.
Rather, its role and responsibilities include the management of an Endowment Fund and an Operational Fund that seek to provide long-term financial strength and sustainability for its partner agency, Samaritan’s Place.
Our History, Goals & Objectives
In October 1998, SAMARITANS, Inc (Southeast Asia Medical and Relief Institute for Training Asians Non-Government Services) was officially organized and registered in the Philippines.
Then in June 2000, the dream of Marc and Marilen Morris to provide residential care for orphan Filipino children finally became a reality. Following many years of observation, research and planning, SAMARITANS, Inc. flagship program Samaritan’s Place (SP) homes for children opened its first family-style home to receive two children being surrendered by their father.
Since that warm summer day, many other orphan children have been given refuge and hope for permanent family placement via Samaritan’s Place (SP).
Fully licensed and accredited by the Philippine Social welfare Department (DSWD), SP offers high quality residential care, pre-adoption social case work and community services in a debt-free campus of homes inside a developing subdivision south of Manila.
In 2003, the Morris’ began to realize that the operations of Samaritan’s Place (SP) in the Philippines were fulfilling only part of their vision and mission to help orphan children.
A need was quickly identified to mobilize a USA “network of friends” with a mutual passion to promote Philippine adoption awareness and involvement, to support orphan care and to manage resources donated for such endeavors. A plan was set in motion to establish an autonomous US based charity to provide needed services and support for these objectives.
Thus, Friends of Samaritan’s Place was envisioned to serve as the US based non-profit charitable organization specially dedicated to aid and assist the efforts of SAMARITANS, Inc. and its related programs in providing promotion, legal and financial services, and advocacy for the adoption of orphaned, abandoned and neglected children.
The Friends of Samaritan’s Place Certificate of Incorporation was filed with the office of the Secretary of State on April 6, 2004. The first meeting of the Incorporators was held on June 1, 2005 at 2505 Harris Circle, NW, Cleveland, Bradley County, Tennessee 37312.
Founded by Marc and Marilen Morris, the other original incorporators were Rev. Max M. Morris and Atty. Jim Bilbo.
- To promote the importance of Philippine orphan care and adoptions;
- To assist Samaritan’s Place (SP) and other partner agencies in the development and implementation of their operational vision, mission, goals and objectives;
- To financially assist SP, other partner agencies and clients in the pursuit to care for the physical, spiritual, educational, psychological development of orphan children to help prepare and/or reinforce them for living productive and successful lives;
- To raise funds for special projects or auxiliary programs;
- To establish itself as a self-reliant and economically sustainable organization;
- To manage the capital assets of the organization with the best return on investment (ROI) while preserving the original asset value;
- To be a key resource of information for Philippine adoptions;
- To be a vital partner member with the philanthropic community by facilitating and working with the private and public sectors;
- To recruit potential adoptive couples and volunteers for service;
- To assist in the coordination of auxiliary programs like Mission Possible, Summer of Service, Fall for Kids, etc.;
- To serve as a model organization by operating at a high standard of program strategy and integrity.
- To develop public relation activities or campaigns that promote Samaritan’s Place, orphan care or adoptions from the Philippines;
- To construct and manage an FSP website;
- To establish a minimum Endowment Fund for Samaritan’s Place of One Million Dollars (USD $ 1,000,000) within five years;
- To develop a regular monthly donors base for (SP) of three hundred (300) individuals or couples (targeting monthly revenues of USD $ 3,000);
- To communicate regularly with FSP donors via a quarterly newsletter publication and Annual Report (serves the final quarter newsletter);
- To invest current capital reserves in various assets that will produce an annual overall minimum rate of return of four percent (4%);
- To recruit a minimum of six (6) couples per year to apply and be processed through partner adoption agencies toward becoming adoptive families;
- To recruit at least six (6) non-board member couples per year to participate in Mission Possible (a Philippine based adoption advocacy program);
- To recruit at least twenty (20) volunteers to serve yearly at Samaritan’s Place in its scheduled service programs, ie. Summer of Service;
- To raise a minimum of Twenty Five Thousand Dollars (USD $ 25,000) per year for special projects or auxiliary programs;
