The Good Samaritan Center was started in 1986 when Father Larry Speichinger called together a dedicated and compassionate group at St. Ann Catholic Church to consider responses to the area’s growing number of families asking for help. What began as a St. Vincent De Paul group soon grew into an independent social service agency giving emergency assistance and advocacy to families and individuals in Excelsior Springs and the surrounding rural areas of Clay and Ray Counties, who were lacking or at risk of not having, life’s basic necessities.
In May of 1989 the Good Samaritan Center of Excelsior Springs was incorporated and granted tax exempt status from the IRS.
In 1993 Good Samaritan Center’s thrift store, opened. It is called Broadway Bargains and is located in the Center’s building, corner of Thompson and Broadway. The store provides good, used clothing and household items for reasonable cost, and at no cost to families who have no money. The store provides training in job skills for one to three workers in the Title 5 Program.
Father Larry retired as Executive Director in January 2003 and served as Spritual Director to the Center on a volunteer basis for several years. He passed away on October 16, 2008.
