The Good Samaritan Center of Excelsior Springs was founded in 1986 in response to increasing needs of low-income persons and families in Excelsior Springs and the surrounding rural areas. The Center gives emergency assistance in the form of food, utility, shelter, medical and transportation help, referrals to other programs, and counseling and encouragement in approximately 1,150 households per year. The Center has a transitional living program where 3 to 6 families a year can stay for up to 12 months while accumulating savings for secure housing. An after-school program for children, called Good Sam Kids Club, helps 15 to 20 children each year to improved skills and grades. A thrift store, Broadway Bargains, offers the general public low-cost clothing and household items, vouchers for free goods to the indigent, and work opportunities for participants.