History
1969 On June 16th the "Socialmissionen i Östra Nyland - Itä Uudenmaan Sosiaalilähetys r.f." association was founded in Porvoo by 15 persons. The purpose of the association is to help homeless, disabled, unemployed or in some other way distressed people. Christer Engström is elected the first president of the association. The fact that there is a great demand for a rehabilitation centre for alcoholics is brought up. The Betlehem association in Porvoo offers its real estate in Veckjärvi, Porvoo rural district, whereupon it is rented for this purpose. The centre is opened in the middle of December and has accommodation for 6 clients. Only the manager is employed at the centre.
1970 The information sheet "Räddningsarken" is published once.
1972 The information sheet "Räddningsarken" becomes a magazine, and Krister Lindberg is the responsible editor. The magazine is printed in 1000 copies, size A5.
1974 Krister Lindberg becomes the new president of the association. The real estate in Veckjärvi, the Betlehem home, is bought at a price of 80.000.
1975 "Räddningsarken" becomes an official magazine. Krister Lindberg is the editor-in-chief and legally responsible for the publication.
1976 The staff increases to two persons.
1977 The activity at Betlehem is rearranged so that in the future the home will support people who want to begin a new life on christian basis.
1978 Because of the rearrangements at Betlehem, the activity becomes nation-wide and the number of supporters increases strongly. Betlehem becomes a christian rehabilitation home.
1979 The newly renovated home is inaugurated on May 28th by bishop John Vikström together with leaders from several Free Churches. Three persons are employed. It is decided to start a shelter for the outcasts in the neighbourhood.
1980 The barracks of the shelter (donated by Imatran Voima Oy) are run up on a site in Kaupunginhaka owned by the Lutheran Church. The Samaria home gets 8 double rooms and has accommodation for 16 clients. On December 1st the home is opened.
1982 The flea market at Jokikatu 35 in Porvoo, the first second-hand shop, is opened on October 1st.
1984 A topping out party is held in August because of the extension of the Betlehem home. The name of the association is changed into Samaria-missionen/-lähetys r.f. and the regulations of the activity are renewd.
1985 On October 22nd Ilola joinery is bought at a price of FIM 405.000. The joinery offers 4-8 places of sheltered employment. The extension of Betlehem is inaugurated on November 30th. The Samaria-shop at Rauhankatu 21 in Porvoo is opened, selling furniture, odds and ends. 5 apartments at Laivurinkatu 15 in Porvoo are rented for supported accommodation from the Betlehem association. The work is growing. Krister Lindberg leaves his position at Neste Oy, and his work at Samaria on a voluntary basis grows into a full-time job. The Finnish edition of the Räddningsarken magazine, Pelastusarkki, is printed in 1000 copies.
1986 Contact work in Vantaa begins. The Filadelfia Church in Helsinki places a house at the mission's disposal. The association gets an office in connection to the Samaria-shop in Porvoo.
1988 The real estate at Kirkkotori 9 in Porvoo is bought on November 10th -seven buildings that together get the name "Samaria Centre". The centre becomes the central administration of the mission with the office and eleven apartments for rehabilitated people and employees.
1989 The renovation and restoration work begins at Kirkkotori 9. The central administration, Samaria shop, rehabilitated people and employees move in as the houses get ready. The mission now has 19 full-time workers. The sustaining members from all over the country are about 1.500. The Samaria mission celebrates its 20th anniversary by arranging large bilingual meetings in the finnish Pentecostal Church and the Swedish Filadelfia Church in Porvoo and a service in the exhibition hall in Helsinki. Conregations, associations, authorities and guests from Norway and Sweden participate.
1990 A new home is opened in Korsnäs and the Jeriko home succeeds to the Samaria mission.
1991 The Jeriko home is sold. Shops are opened in Loviisa and Nikkilä and the flea markets increase by two. In connection to the flea market in Loviisa there is also a day centre. Samaria Baltic Fund is founded on August 21st -the same day Estonia becomes independent. Founding members of the Samaria-mission in Finland are Runar Nylund and Krister Lindberg. The purpose of the fund is to set up homes for drug addicts and run an activity which reminds of the Finnish Samaria-mission's. Because the need is great, the work has at the beginning taken the nature of recieving relief consignments. The first Samaria-shop in Estonia is opened. A hall is built at the site of Betlehem, and the goods of the flea markets are sorted out there. In addition a car repair shop is run there and strips of wood are produced.
1992 The extension of Ilola joinery gets ready. The joinery is inaugurated on August 24th under the direction of local government councillor Per-Håkan Slotte. The Samaria home in Korsnäs is closed down because of a low covering and financial problems. Samaria in the Baltic States is expanding and comprehends a rehabilitation centre, 3 day centres, 5 flea markets, agriculture and a joinery in different parts of Estonia. Eivor and Hilding Herlin started their work in Estonia.
1993 The Bread Church in Helsinki opens. A flea market in the same building is also opened. Karl Lindqvist is responsible for Samaria's work in Helsinki. Eivor and Hilding Herlin, who are responsible for the flea market in Nikkilä, collect money, food, clothes and toys which they distribute to needy children and old people in Estonia. The tea-house bus comes into Samaria's possession.
1994 Three supported accommodation apatrments are bought in Helsinki. Samaria-work starts in Latvia.
1995 Samaria's 25th anniversary is celebrated in connection with Krister Lindberg's 50th birthday. Samaria in the Baltic States runs 3 rehabilitation centres and 8 flea markets, is a part-owner in a joinery and in an agricultural project. About 100 Kurdish refugees get assistance in order to enter Finland.
1996 Samaria-work is founded in Lithuania. The Samaria-shop in Helsinki moves into a new flat on Sturenkatu.
1997 A new rehabilitation centre for Swedish-speaking drug abusers is opened in northern Pörtom. A thermal power station, which is rebuilt into a rehabilitation centre, is bought in the town of Pärnu in Estonia. The "Pelastusarkki" magazine is changed into the "Samaria" magazine. The Sauna at Betlehem burns down, and a new and more suitable one is built.
1998 The first entire testament is recieved, a part of which financies the purchase of an apartment for supported accommodation in Vantaa. The last part of the loan taken to buy the property on Kirkkotori is paid off. Samaria´s homepage is published on the internet.
1999 The Swedish information sheet ”Räddningsarken” 25 years – The Finnish information sheet ”Pelastusarkki” 15 years. As to humanitarian help, a new record is made: our lorry transported help to the Baltic states totally 28 times. Two new rehabilitation homes are opened in Lithunia, one for only men and one for both men and women. The day centre in Loviisa has worked 10 years.
2000 Samaria-Missionen 30 years (25th November). An apartment for supported accommodation is bought in Nikkilä in Sipoo. A bok ”A building of charity on the ground of faith”, written by Thure Malmberg, is published.
2001 A new manager to Betlehem: Martti Suhonen succeeds Eero Lehtikangas who is retired. Samaria in Estonia, Samaaria Eesti Misjon, has worked in 10 years. A new rehabilitation home is opened in Pärnu. The home has 14 places for men. Managing director Krister Lindberg receives the title ”Social councillor”.
2002 Samaria in Helsinki gets more space. Samaria byus an apartment at Castréningkatu 7. An incendiarism ruins the Samaria house in Loviisa. New apartments are found very rapidly at Degerbynkatu 10. The Jokikatu flea market in Porvoo has worked 20 years. The real estate att Kirkkotori is repaired. More than 11,000 nursing days in the rehabilitation homes and 11,625 visits in day centres. The apartments for supported accommodation are used during 4,197 days (plus members of the family if any). In the autumn the Sipoo municipality wants to sell the Samaria house” in Nikkilä for restoration.
2003 Samaria rf buys six new apartments for supported accommondation, five in Vantaa and one in Helsinki. A project ”Everyone has right to a home of his/her own” is started. The Samaria house in Nikkilä is bought on 25.2.2003 and the restoration work is started.
2004 A new day centre for supported accommondation/Bread Church is opened at Kangasalantie in Helsinki. This centre wants to help in first place those who live in apartments for supported accommodation. On May 14th Samaria rf buys an apartment building in Loviisa, Degerbynkatu 10. This real estate has been earlier called to “Tele-House”; 1200 m2. The seller: Kapiteeli Oy. Samaria sells the Tee-housebus in autumn -04. Money for the trainingproject in Estonia is given in the end of 2004; starting 1.1.2005; The building site is consecrated in the end of year 2004 lopussa;
2005 An EU project in Estonia starts; groundstones are brickt up 29.4.05 (Samaria-center of Estonia). Samaria rf has a celebration because Mr. Krister Lindberg, managing director and social councillor, has his 60th birthday (18.8.) and the association 35th anniversary. The reception takes place in the Cultural Center Grand on 27.8. Samaria launches its 1st CD ”JUMALAN ARMOSTA” (by God´s grace) in Finnish on 27.11. This CD contains music by Ilpo Salo and his orchestra Kuningaskalastajat (roally fishers).
2006 Samaria rents a flat in Helsinki in Kangasalantie 2. Finland’s Slot Machine Association grants both project funding for a new so-called VATU project (the origin of the abbreviation traces from the Finnish words for training and development of voluntary and supporting persons) and targeted operating assistance for supported type of housing. Olli Huhdanpää is the project manager. The cathedral in Porvoo is affected by an arson on 29.5. The roof is destroyed by fire and the upper parts of the cathedral are damaged. Samaria-center and other houses close to the cathedral are in the danger zone, but the firemen manage to protect them. Samaria purchases a house in Mustasaari in Uusipellontie 44 and opens a home for aftercare of mostly Swedish speaking rehabilitated persons. The home is inaugurated on 5.9. Karl Lindqvist, the regional manager in Helsinki and the member of the Board of Directors, dies on 6.9.06. People in Samaria feels a deep sorrow. Olli Huhdanpää is appointed to Helsinki regional manager on duty. Samaria celebrates Mrs. Kate Lindberg’s 60th birthday (17.12.) on 18.12 . Samaaria-center in Haaapsalu in Estonia gets a tin roof.
2007 A new project ”To independent life” starts in Ostrobothnia with assistance of Finland’s Slot Machine Association. The goal is to help Swedish speaking users of alcohol and narcotics to begin a new sober life. Kjell Blomberg is the project manager.
2008 New managing director Ismo Valkoniemi started at sebtember with his wife Päivi. Kate and Krister Lindberg are still working together them to autumn 2010.
2009 We grounded new company Oy Noark Ab what is a social enterprise owned by Samaria rf. It crate jobs and support activies through Noark-miniature world, Noark-butique and other work forms. Executive director in company is Päivi Valkoniemi.