LAURINBURG — Through their anonymous giving, the Silent Samaritans have raised more than $27,000 for the Scotland Family Counseling Center.

“We went over the top,” said Charles J. Wentz, Jr., executive director for Scotland Family Counseling Center. “We surpassed our goal before the end of our fiscal year ending June 30. The goal was $25,000.”

Co-leaders Gary Gallman and Terry Gallman and Tammie Gibson and Whit Gibson, leaders of the Silent Samaritan Society, presented a check for $27,225 to Scotland Family Counseling Center for support of counseling clients.

The mission of the Silent Samaritans is to help raise money to pay the bills of patients who otherwise may not receive treatment, but quietly, with little fanfare. The group meets once a year in March.

“The Silent Samaritan Society endeavors to help their neighbor families who are experiencing a troubled and painful time in life,” Wentz said. “Also, the Silent Samaritan Society provides financial gifts to Scotland Family Counseling Center, Inc. to help neighbor families with counseling support and counseling fee subsidies in a quiet and humble manner.”

The Scotland Family Counseling Center is a nonprofit organization that provides faith-based counseling services for those coping with depression, anxiety, grief, and substance abuse. The center also provides services to children referred by school guidance counselors and pediatricians, taking the approach of allowing children to create and connecting with them through their own drawings or their methods of play.

The center was founded in 2007 as a one day per week service provided at Laurinburg Presbyterian Church. Since then, it has grown into its own office on Medical Drive, where it serves clients every weekday and continues to expand its staff to fulfill a constantly growing need in the area.

Locally, the number of people the center serves has continued to grow. In 2007, the center had one counselor for a half a day each week. In 2011, another counselor was added and 1,100 hours were tallied between the two of them. By the end of last year, a third counselor was added and the number of hours served doubled, to 2,200.

The Scotland Family Counseling Center is supported by several churches, community organizations and individuals. For information about the center, call 910-276-7011.

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Staff report