Social Mission: Good Samaritan Clinic

Summer is here, and with the season comes new initiatives for our 2026 Social Mission partner, Good Samaritan Clinic. Built by Dr. Lidia Navarrete 25 years ago to show God’s love in tangible ways by providing free essential and preventative healthcare services to the community, the ministry is now entering an exciting new era—one that is introducing even more resources to its patients.

“We’re preparing to launch free monthly support groups in both English and Spanish, where we’ll provide food and childcare to remove barriers to participation,” Executive Director Mike Young shared. This new offering will serve as a gateway to patients new to mental health treatment and help. A licensed therapist—one of the many volunteer providers who make Good Samaritan Clinic’s work possible—will lead each session, and can then connect patients to the Clinic’s free, one-on-one counseling.

These support groups are coming at a crucial time for local families. With shifting summer schedules, as children are home from school and work hours may undergo changes, patients often see their stress increase. This can affect not just the mind, but the whole body, magnifying the symptoms of chronic conditions like high blood pressure. With expanded mental health support, the Clinic is helping their patients navigate changes while recognizing that physical health is intrinsically tied with emotional wellbeing. 

“We recognize that health is deeply connected to life circumstances, so we work to address not just medical needs, but also the social and emotional challenges our patients face,” Mike said. 

“Ultimately, we want every person who comes to Good Samaritan Clinic to leave not only with care, but with a sense of worth, hope, and belonging.”

Summer brings its challenges, too, to the Clinic’s operations. Many of its volunteers are university students who leave the city during the summer, creating gaps in the Clinic’s teams and, ultimately, the support they can offer to patients. Good Samaritan Clinic is actively seeking new volunteer providers to serve one evening a month—or more, if they so choose—so patients do not experience any gap in care, attention, or responsiveness. 

This need extends far beyond the summer months: their capacity to help patients directly correlates with their number of volunteers. If you feel led to answer God’s call to help your neighbors by volunteering with the Good Samaritan Clinic, please scan the QR code on this page for a firsthand look at the true impact of this faith-based nonprofit. 

At Dr. Navarrete’s retirement party this past March, Mike announced a new, incredible project that will help sustain and build the Clinic as it moves forward: Lidia’s Good Samaritan Thrift Store. Right now, the Clinic asks for churches, businesses, community organizations, and individuals to organize donation drives or to donate on their own. The selling of these goods will create innumerable opportunities for Good Samaritan Clinic to touch even more lives in our community, providing crucial healthcare services for longer, healthier lives. 

To coordinate collections or drop offs, please contact Executive Director Mike Young at mike@goodsamaritansc.org.

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