The Center, a Samaritan Center has a new executive director.
Carolyn Paden replaced Charles “Bud” Salanski who retired last year after serving as the executive director of the mental health agency for 15 years.
“I think she’ll do fine, we have a good staff and things seem to be moving smoothly,” Salanski said.
Paden, a longtime St. Joseph resident, worked as a nurse in the community for 35 years. She served as a nurse for the old Methodist hospital and most recently for Mosaic Life Care before coming to the Samaritan Center last June.
Paden said health care and community have both been part of who she is for a number of years.
“Mental health is something that is so needed because without a good, strong mental health your physical health goes down too,” Paden said.
Paden added that she loves working for the Center and feels it’s a great national organization that gives the local center lots of support. She feels her role is not to make changes but maintain the level of service that’s been established by the Center before she came on board.
“Bud, the previous executive director set up a good organization here and I just want to maintain what he has done over the last 15 years,” Paden said.
The Center provided more than 8,500 counseling sessions in 2016. That number includes approximately 200 clients who needed financial assistance.
For more information on the Center, A Samaritan Center and its services, visit their website at thecenterlistens.org or call its offices at 816-364-4300.

Article by Alonzo Weston of the St. Joseph News-Press
​Published February 16, 2018
www.newspressnow.com/news/local_news/samaritan-center-names-new-director/article_73f14926-370f-501d-8191-2f5c7951b5e7.html

The community rose to the challenge set by Sunshine Electronic Display Corporation and surpassed the $10,000 goal for December 2017. Thank you to all the community donors who supported The CENTER during their end of year giving. 

​SUNSHINE ELECTRONIC DISPLAY TO MATCH UP-TO $10,000 IN DONATIONS
TO THE CENTER IN DECEMBER
St. Joseph, Mo.—December 4, 2017— Sunshine Electronic Display has committed to match all donations made to The CENTER, a Samaritan Center up-to $10,000 during the month of December 2017.
“Sunshine is committed to helping organizations that serve our community. The CENTER, plays a vital role in providing counseling and psychiatric services to anyone who comes to them for help. We are offering to match donations during the month of December to encourage other people in our community to support The CENTER,” said Kendall Randolph, Chief Executive Officer of Sunshine Electronic Display.
The CENTER, has been serving the greater Saint Joseph community since 1986. Through a multi-disciplinary approach to mental health, The CENTER providers promote the physical, emotional, social, and spiritual well-being of individuals.
“We are very thankful for the compassionate support of community donors like Kendall and the Sunshine Electronic Display team. At The CENTER, we hope that other community members/organizations will also accept this challenge and consider making a gift with double the impact during the month of December,” said Carolyn Paden, Executive Director of The CENTER.
Thanks to community support, since 2009, no individual who has sought help through The CENTER has been turned away due to their inability to afford care. The CENTER provides over 8,000 counseling sessions each year through funding as a local non-profit United Way of Greater St. Joseph Partner Agency, grants, and community donors.
Donors have three ways to get involved to have their donation matched 100%:
1. Online at www.theCENTERlistens.org/donate
2. In-person or via mail: 902 Edmond Street, Suite 203, Saint Joseph, MO 64501
3. Attend and contribute at the Imagine Eleven Christmas Concert on December 10, 2017 at 6:00pm at First Lutheran Church, 302 South 10th, Saint Joseph, MO 64501