About Us
Meet the Executive Director
Let me introduce myself, my name is Sara Buchholz. I am the executive director of Samaritan's Carriage. I started working for Samaritan's Carriage in January 2022. Previous to Samaritan's Carriage, I worked 32 years for Grand Rapids Christian Schools, 23 years in the Administrative Offices.
I love working with Samaritan's Carriage and I am having a marvelous time meeting guests from each of the 9 homes and connecting with the Life Enrichment Coordinators and all 70 of the volunteers.
My favorite part of each outing is listening. Once a question is asked then our guests begin to talk and the words just flow. We hear about their lives and the adventures they went on as children. Sometime we hear about their children and grandchildren. It is alway enlightening to hear their life experiences.
Recently on an outing to a park a gentleman was painting as we walked by. He stopped and interacted with the guests, later he came by our group and commented on the "angels" he had spoken to and he shared a poem with us.
"Every outing is an adventure and a blessing!"
A new year of outings has begun!
It's unbelievable how quickly the months go by. We are already beginning our third round of outings.
We saw the butterflies at Meijer Gardens, took walks through Millennium Park and smelled the flowers at Countryside Greenhouse., soon we'll be visiting the Rockford Dam. Every visit is different and we always have such a great time. Our guests love getting out of their homes and onto the carriage and off to experience a new adventure.
On one outing over lunch we learned that two of our guests were artists! Hearing their stories of creating beautiful art was fun. One of our volunteers is also an artist so they shared stories of their creative processes. It was exciting to listen to their conversations.
We had a group of 5 ladies whose cumulative age was 469 years. One of them was 100! She told me it wasn't that bad getting old! I loved her attitude. She enjoyed every second of the outing and made sure we knew she was having a great time.
THANK YOU!
Thank you to all our donors for making these outings such a blessing. We began the year on a positive note with gifts from our
generous donors. THANK YOU!!
The guests thank the volunteers over and over for giving them these glorious experiences. The woman in the pictures is 100 years old, she was thrilled to be out of her home. She shared a few life stories with us. The volunteers have a blast hearing story after story. So donors, please keep up your contributions, the joy you are providing is palatable. One gentleman had not be out of his facility in four years. For people whose children live out of town or people without and family in the area Samaritan's Carriage provides an opportunity for them to see life beyond their four walls. It is our honor to provide those experiences. Your gift helps us provide these adventures.
The average cost of an outing is upwards of $250.
Thanks again for your generosity.
Who We Are
Our History
Our History
Samaritan's Carriage is a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing joy to those with limited mobility in the greater Grand Rapids area. The Samaritan's Carriage itself is a bus with a lift that can sit up to five persons in wheelchairs. We are partnered with nine nursing homes in the Grand Rapids area. Each nursing home is designated
Samaritan's Carriage is a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing joy to those with limited mobility in the greater Grand Rapids area. The Samaritan's Carriage itself is a bus with a lift that can sit up to five persons in wheelchairs. We are partnered with nine nursing homes in the Grand Rapids area. Each nursing home is designated one day a month to go on a special outing with a team of Samaritan's Carriage volunteers. Each team of volunteers is made up of five companions, and one driver. The companions push the guests in wheelchairs and spend time getting to know the guests. What makes our ministry so special is that we provide these outings and experiences free of charge.
Samaritan's Carriage, Inc. is an independent 501 C (3) non-profit organization. We are completely funded by donations. All contributions are tax deductible.
Our History
Our History
Our History
Samaritan's Carriage was founded in 2002 with the goal to bring some joy to the lives of people living with limited mobility especially in nursing homes in the greater Grand Rapids area. During Covid our carriage sat idle for two years. Now that Samaritan's Carriage is able to go out again we are having such wonderful experiences. It doe
Samaritan's Carriage was founded in 2002 with the goal to bring some joy to the lives of people living with limited mobility especially in nursing homes in the greater Grand Rapids area. During Covid our carriage sat idle for two years. Now that Samaritan's Carriage is able to go out again we are having such wonderful experiences. It doesn't matter if the sun shines or the rain falls the ability to leave their homes and see some sights again is a huge blessing.
Our 20th year has been fabulous. We visited twenty-two different locations. The guests and the volunteers have been blessed to spend time together. We all learn from each other.
Our Mission
Our History
Our Mission
As an expression of God’s love, Samaritan’s Carriage tailors experiences and personal encounters that affirm, bless and bring joy into the lives of persons having limited mobility.
Sharing God's love with Persons with
Limited Mobility
