Just a few of the people who help Good Samaritan Rescue Mission run smoothly are George Quintanilla (left), laundry; Alfred Martinez, assistant to director; Carole Murphrey, executive director; Tatiana McCormick, animal care; ‘Gilbert,’ landscape services; and Ronald Plagge, food service. Front and center is Simba, a ginger tabby cat who is both a well-loved board member and a resident. Photo by Jane Kathleen Gregorio

Just a few of the people who help Good Samaritan Rescue Mission run smoothly are George Quintanilla (left), laundry; Alfred Martinez, assistant to director; Carole Murphrey, executive director; Tatiana McCormick, animal care; ‘Gilbert,’ landscape services; and Ronald Plagge, food service. Front and center is Simba, a ginger tabby cat who is both a well-loved board member and a resident. Photo by Jane Kathleen Gregorio

The city’s largest homeless shelter might soon move to a bigger home. Good Samaritan Rescue Mission soon could be relocating to the old Lamar Elementary School at 2212 Morris St., a move that would mean 100 additional beds and a larger dining room. The current location at 210 S. Alameda St. is 65 years old and currently sleeps 230, though it often has been pressed to sleep more. The move will need city council approval to be finalized.
The Ed Rachal Foundation purchased the property for $75,000 in May. The plan is to turn the building, which sits on 2 acres, into a three-winged village with a dog park, a thrift store, a barber shop, a dental office, a clinic, a hospice, private rooms, and dormitories. The foundation was established in 1965 from the will of Ed Rachal, a rancher and cattleman from Rockport, and is run by a board of directors.
Lamar Elementary School served students in the Corpus Christi Independent School District from 1941-2010. Until earlier this year, it served the Lamar Community Service and Education Center and the Del Mar College Adult Education and Literacy program. Education services are now in the Lozano Instructional Service Center at 1761 Hudson St.
Most of the renovation work will happen between the exterior walls, which will remain intact. After asbestos remediation, the school’s interior will be demolished and completely rebuilt to fit a floor plan for what is being called Good Sam Village. Plans for the two-story building have been drawn up by Turner & Ramirez Architects in Corpus Christi.
A nonprofit, Good Samaritan Rescue Mission does not receive any federal, state, or local tax money. It is also not a member of the United Way.
“This gives us the flexibility to offer a bed to every person who walks in, without them having to qualify for a program or go through a case worker,” said Executive Director Carole Murphrey in a Volunteer Guide feature in the July issue of Corpus Christi Business News. “We are the only shelter that is open day and night around the clock where men and women can check in any time.”
The shelter does not require an ID to provide services. The current location includes a medical dorm, which cares for indigents released from local hospitals. Good Sam operates 37 programs to help the homeless find food, education, job training and jobs, and more. Residents are expected to work for their keep, depending on their skills and health.
“We aren’t your typical shelter because we don’t want to just provide residents a roof over their heads and food,” Murphrey said. “We want them to bond with others, to make friends.”