When was The
Good Samaritan
founded?
A group of
Spiritists,
which included
my father
Antonio Ferreira
Inocêncio, got
together in 1957
with the goal of
founding the
city’s first
overnight
hostel. They got
a donation of a
plot of land in
Bahia Street and
soon after began
asking for
donations of
building
material. The
Good Samaritan
Hostel was
opened on August
1st
1958 and
remained open
until 2003. In
2006 it was
reopened with a
new focus on
courses and
training for
people on low
income. We offer
a number of
courses and
programmes aimed
at guiding
families and the
local community,
at young people
and the elderly,
assistance to
autistic
children and a
number of
training courses
for those over
the age of 14,
including
Information
Technology,
sewing, courses
for
hairdressers,
language classes
etc. All the
courses are free
of charge. Five
teachers and 40
volunteers work
with us.
Does it also
work as a
Spiritist
Centre?
Yes. We have
daily meetings
and events
focused on study
groups, prayer
groups,
providing
spiritual
assistance and
the
dissemination of
the Gospel of
Jesus and
Spiritism. We
have six
mediumship
groups working
regularly with
about 10 members
each.
What has been
the impact of
The Good
Samaritan’s
services to the
city of Avaré?
The Good
Samaritan values
the quality of
its training and
teaching
programmes. It
has given an
important
contribution to
form an army of
young people in
the city, as
well as helping
older people
recycle their
knowedge and
skills,
especially
giving them
access to the
world of IT and
the internet.
The Good
Samaritan enjoys
a very good
reputation in
the city and
local companies
and students
rate its
certificates
highly.
Is there
particular
aspect of your
experience that
you would like
to share with
us?
Our organisation
relies on
volunteer work
carried out by
dozens of our
companions.
Without their
participation
the Samaritan
would not be
able to fulfil
its goals. It is
remarkable,
therefore, the
dedication of
the volunteers,
who gladly agree
to donate their
time, knowledge
and experience
on behalf of
people in need.
They are putting
into practice
the evangelical
proposal of
doing for others
what we would
like done to
us.
Where do you get
the financial
resources to
keep that work
going?
Our sources of
income are:
donations from
members,
donations from
individuals and
companies and
income from a
special
government
programme that
tackles tax
evasion.
Do the people
who attend the
courses usually
join the
Spiritist
activities at
the
organisation?
We make
available in
every room of
the Samaritan a
brief textbook
entitled “What
Spiritism
Teaches,” by
Odilon Fernandes,
so people can
get familiar
with the basic
principles of
Spiritism. Some
join the open
meetings, others
join Spiritism
courses. Our
training and IT
courses are
attended mostly
by young people,
but
unfortunately
very few of them
join our
Spiritist Youth
Movement.
What else would
you like to
add?
I would like to
highlight the
fact that our
organisation
wishes to
provide
information on
Spiritism and to
give the tools,
through
education, to
those who wish
to progress
professionally,
intellectually
and morally. We
offer
opportunities
for education
but we also
provide
Spiritists with
the opportunity
to put into
practice what
they have
learned with the
Teachings and to
fulfil the
obligations of
all of us
incarnates: to
help educate
other people, to
help them
progress and to
improve the
organisations
created by men
and women
through direct,
material work,
as stated in
question 57 of
The Spirits’
Book.
