Samaritan’s Purse Fact Sheet

Founded:  1970, by Bob Pierce

Purpose: Samaritan's Purse is a nondenominational Christian organization providing spiritual and physical aid with excellence to victims of war, natural disasters, disease, famine, poverty, and persecution in over 100 countries.

Budget:  $422 million (2013)

Offices: Headquartered in Boone, N.C., Samaritan's Purse has affiliate offices in Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia; plus field offices in 15 developing countries.

PROJECTS

Crisis and Disaster Response -

• U.S. Disaster Relief: Since 1998, when Samaritan’s Purse equipped its first Disaster Relief Unit, staff and volunteers have helped more than 25,000 families impacted by U.S. natural disasters - hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, floods, and ice storms - by quickly providing emergency supplies, repairing, cleaning and rebuilding homes.

• International: Samaritan's Purse specializes in meeting critical needs for victims of war, disaster, and famine in the world's most troubled regions, often working through local churches and ministry partners. Recent efforts include distributing emergency relief supplies to Japan tsunami victims, providing medical care, shelter, food and water for Haiti earthquake victims, and supplying food aid in response to massive flooding in North Korea.

Feeding Programs - Samaritan's Purse has specialized programs to treat severely malnourished children and runs large-scale distributions to feed victims of disaster, famine and war, including air drops to thousands of Sudan refugees.

Health and Medical -

• World Medical Mission: Each year, the medical arm of Samaritan’s Purse places hundreds of doctors, dentists, and other medical professionals in voluntary, short-term service with hospitals and clinics in the world's least developed countries. World Medical Mission also provides hospitals overseas with critical medical equipment and supplies. 

• Children's Heart Project: This project brings children to North America to receive life-saving surgery not available in their home countries. To date, Samaritan's Purse has arranged surgery for more than 900 children with heart defects. 

• Diseases: Samaritan's Purse fights malaria, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and other epidemic diseases through medical care, health services, hygiene projects, preventative education and compassionate care.

Operation Christmas Child - The world's largest Christmas project collects and distributes gift-filled shoe boxes for needy children around the world. Since 1993, more than 100 million boxes have been distributed in more than 130 countries. Each year, the project mobilizes more than 100,000 volunteers in the United States.

Operation Heal Our Patriots - This program is designed to strengthen the marriages of wounded and injured members of the U.S. Military. The primary component is Samaritan Lodge Alaska, a wilderness retreat offering outdoor activities and biblically based marriage enrichment classes.

Animals, Agriculture & Livelihoods - Samaritan's Purse enables families in third-world countries to meet their daily food and nutritional needs by providing seeds, tools and livestock. Programs also include training that enables beneficiaries and communities to transition from subsistence living to sustainability.

Construction Projects - Samaritan's Purse constructs houses, schools, hospitals, and churches for families and communities affected by disaster, poverty, and war around the world.

Water, Sanitation & Hygiene - Samaritan's Purse clean water programs have provided safe drinking water for hundreds of thousands of people in more than 25 countries through well projects and water filters for households and communities, coupled with health and hygiene education.

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