Good Sams Foundation

18/05/2026

Happy National Volunteer Week to everyone who gives their time to help create stronger, more compassionate communities for people living in challenging circumstances.

At the Good Sams Foundation, we are beyond grateful for the advice and guidance of our volunteer Board members, the Finance, Risk & Audit Committee, the Governance Committee, specialised subcommittees, and the subject-matter experts who work outside these structures. Thank you for sharing your professional expertise so generously.

09/05/2026

A prayer in gratitude for our mothers

Good and Gentle God,

We pray in gratitude for our mothers and for all the women who have joined with you in the wonder of bringing forth new life.

You who became human through a woman, grant to all mothers the courage they need to face the uncertain future that life with children always brings.

Give them the strength to love and to be loved in return, not perfectly, but humanly.

Give them the support of family and friends as they care for their children's physical and spiritual growth.

Most of all, give them the wisdom to turn to you for help when they need it most.

Author Unknown

09/05/2026

Dear friends,

Tomorrow, I’m looking forward to celebrating my mum, and to acknowledging the ‘other mothers’ in my life — the people who show up with care and support, not out of obligation, but by choice.

I find it 'tricky' to capture motherhood in just a few words. It surfaces different emotions — connection, love, affection, commitment, responsibility, confusion — sometimes experienced all in the same breath!

It can feel joyful or challenging, simple or complex, depending on the day. And so much of it goes unseen — many behind-the-scenes moments are rarely photographed, yet they are deeply felt.

Below is a special moment for me captured on camera - my youngest grandchild, Sofia, and I mid-giggle.

This Mother’s Day, I'd like to take the opportunity to thank you for showing up - unseen - for the mothers and children in our ministries. Your care and compassion matter more than words can say.

Happy Mother's Day, good Samaritans!

Sonya - Good Sams Foundation

05/05/2026

Kiribati is a small island nation in the central Pacific, where the Sisters of the Good Samaritan run an Early Childhood Centre in Abaokoro village, North Tarawa.

Since opening in 2009, the centre has offered young children a place to learn and grow through play, friendship, and creative expression.

During a visit last year, I watched a young student carefully build a block tower. He patiently adjusted each piece as he searched for balance.

When the tower finally stood tall, his face lit up with pride. There weren’t many blocks to work with, but he created something wonderful from what was there.

His creativity speaks to the potential that exists in every child when they are given even a small opportunity to explore and learn.

To find out more about our programs, subscribe to the Good Sams Foundation's monthly newsletter www.goodsamsfoundation.org.au

20/04/2026

I recently visited the Philippines, and while there were many inspiring moments, this one left a lasting impression.

Four young women, graduates of the Sisters of the Good Samaritan Kinder School, sat across from me. They were now tertiary qualified, employed, and confident.

They began their journey with us as tiny scholarship students. When I asked about their hopes for the future, I expected career goals or personal milestones. Instead, every single one spoke about wanting to provide stable food, safe housing, and education for their families — and to give back to the Good Samaritan community that helped create opportunity at a time when it was hardest to access.

One graduate is already volunteering at the Outreach Centre, speaking with new scholarship students about what helped her keep going.

This is what long-term investment in women and children can look like. Watch their story here → https://lnkd.in/gjkWBm4w

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This link will take you to a page that’s not on LinkedIn

02/04/2026

Dear Good Samaritans,
Happy Easter. We hope the Lenten season has offered you a sense of renewal and inner resilience for the year ahead.

A friend recently shared this reflection with us. We're not sure of its origins, but it felt worth holding onto—especially for those moments when a little reassurance is needed for yourself or others:

“Even in life’s most difficult moments, renewal is possible. Hope does not disappear in the face of hardship—it rises, sometimes in ways we don’t expect.”

Wishing you a peaceful and hope-filled Easter.

19/01/2026

International Day of Education | 24 January

Education is critical to a child's ability to live a life of dignity, hope, and independence. And yet, according to UNESCO, approximately 250 million children and adolescents are out of school, and 763 million adults are illiterate, unable to read or write. Behind these numbers are women, children, and families whose potential is being held back by poverty and circumstances beyond their control.

At the Good Sams Foundation, education is at the centre of our programs. Through secondary and tertiary scholarships, our Kinder schools and skills-building initiatives across Australia, Kiribati, and the Philippines, we support women and children to learn, grow, and build more secure futures for themselves and their families.

Find out more about the United Nation's International Day of Education here >> https://www.un.org/en/observances/education-day

The International Day of Education celebrates education worldwide by promoting the idea that education plays a key role in building sustainable and resilient societies, and contributes to the achievement of all other Sustainable Development Goals.

03/12/2025

You are warmly invited to join our community for prayers and the lighting of the 2nd week's Advent candle. This Sunday, 7 December, we will progress to week 2 of our Advent video series and reflect on the theme of Justice.

It's not too late to start at the beginning of the series. Week 1 is still available via the link below!

Our Advent videos will be released weekly on a Sunday:

Week 1: 30 November – Justice (still available online)
Week 2: 7 December - Repentance
Week 3: 14 December – Joy
Week 4: 21 December – Love

You can view each video on the dates above at: https://goodsamsfoundation.org.au/advent/

06/11/2025

PHILIPPINES EMERGENCY APPEAL
You may have seen coverage of Typhoon Kalmaegi (Typhoon Tino) in Cebu.

What you may not have seen is the devastation on the neighbouring island of Negros, where our Good Samaritan communities live and work.

Homes in the coastal, squatter settlement of Boulevard have been swept away.

Families from the Good Samaritan Kinder School community are also impacted.

These are our students, our colleagues, and our neighbours.

We have launched an Emergency Appeal to support relief and rebuilding. If you are able, please give today.

Thank you for your compassion.

➡️ Donate: https://good-samaritans.raiselysite.com/

23/10/2025

This week, we join the Children’s Week Council of Australia in celebrating Children’s Week — a national event recognising the rights of children under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. At the Good Samaritan Foundation, we believe every child deserves the opportunity to learn, enjoy regular meals, and feel safe. These are the simple foundations that give children the confidence to dream — and the hope to achieve those dreams. Together, let’s continue to create communities where every child has the right to thrive.