Samaritan INN the Community
At the Inn, we are always busy. No matter what time of year, depending on who you ask, there is something going on. But when you hit November and December? Basically, you better buckle up and hang on! Every department and every team member is going 100mph and we’re all in different directions. National Homeless Awareness envelopes the month of November as we all focus on being thankful for what we have instead of lamenting what we don’t. There’s planning for Santa—gifts and visits. We have big holiday meals that require volunteers and lots of food. Donations are in overdrive, and residents hit the holiday blues. Anything routine is put on pause to ensure the holidays are full of magic.
By January, staff stumbles around like zombies, and residents are making plans to be housed by the end of the year. The past 2025 holiday season was no different than years past. Our VP of Strategic Partnerships participated in the Hunger and Homeless Awareness Proclamations for the cities of Plano and Allen as part of the Collin County Homeless Coalition Board. During McKinney’s proclamation, she accepted it on behalf of McKinney Homeless Coalition and later shared some words about the work done in 2025 and the hopes of being Better Together in 2026 with the formalization of the MHC. From the 17th to the 21st, every day was filled with education and awareness activities across the community. While the agency highlighted partner locations during HAW, community engagement with new initiatives such as the Street Outreach Ambassador (SOAR) Program were full steam ahead.
In December, we were launched into preparing for the PIT (Point in Time) count for the city, navigating the chaos created by HUD for funding, and hosting the final INNsights Town Hall of the year. This final INNsights was a great interactive presentation by one of the Inn’s own counselors as we looked into mental health and how it intersects with homelessness. We also presented at the Family Wellness Council Meetings and met with the team at Grace House to begin evaluating how the space and services can best serve those in need within the community. One of the best highlights of December came at John Paul II High School, where our VP of Strategic Partnerships acted as a non-profit shark for senior social service presentations. Seeing the next generation of helpers is something special that can only be experienced and never described well enough!
Now it’s January 2026, and we are already knee deep INN the community.
If you’d like to provide feedback on the timing and topics for INNsights Town Hall this year, please answer a few short questions here.
Cheers to 2026—Better Together!
