U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Brandon Price was performing a routine training session with the Afghan Army when his students suddenly turned on him and ambushed him and his squadron with gunfire. Brandon took two bullets to the chest plate and one to his leg, and as he was being treated by a medic, a remote-powered…
Operation Christmas Child
Hundreds of Children in the Bahamas Receive Shoebox Gifts at Christmastime
Hundreds of boys and girls received gifts and learned about the hope of the Gospel during a series of Operation Christmas Child shoebox distributions on the island of Grand Bahama, Dec. 27-28. The celebration was a welcome time of joy for the children as the island continues to recover from Hurricane Dorian. Local church partners…
Operation Christmas Child
God Is Using a Small Texas Church to Bless Many Thousands of Children
Update (Nov. 4, 2021): Since this article was originally published, Grace Baptist Church of Wild Peach, Texas, has continued to exceed its shoebox-packing goals. In 2020, despite the global outbreak of COVID-19, the church packed 12,617 shoeboxes—117 over their goal. They also saw God’s provision regarding their $9 donation per shoebox gift that year. “We…
Construction Projects
Samaritan’s Purse Helps Homeowners Rebuild in Eastern Carolinas
As Hurricane Florence passed through New Bern, North Carolina, lightning struck a large pine tree in Kenyatta James’ front yard. The splintered tree fell diagonally across her house, which the family had evacuated in advance of the storm. The fallen timber left the James’ home severely damaged and allowed torrential rain inside as the storm…
Crisis & Disaster Response
From Ruin to Rejoicing
When Hurricane Helene swept through Swannanoa, North Carolina, it triggered a massive flood in Thomas Archer’s neighborhood. He watched as the raging water rose in his mobile home and his furniture sloshed from room to room, destroying it. After the water receded, mold quickly took its place, making the home uninhabitable. Thomas didn’t know what…
Crisis & Disaster Response
College Students Head South to Serve Over Spring Break
Instead of heading to the beach in shorts and flip-flops, University of Connecticut students spent their spring break in Waynesville, North Carolina, donning work clothes and orange U.S. Disaster Relief T-shirts. They were rebuilding a home damaged by Hurricane Helene. “I wanted to do something that was productive and that was contributing to the Kingdom…
Crisis & Disaster Response
Rebuilding in Tennessee
Samaritan’s Purse has started rebuilding homes that were lost to Hurricane Helene, including one for Kim Mitchum in Mountain City, Tennessee. The September 2024 storm flooded Mitchum’s home—damaging her belongings and leaving her with a black mold infestation that could not be stopped. When our U.S. Disaster Relief teams came to her aid with the…
New Home Blesses Couple Whose Lives Were Upended by Helene
Helene’s heavy rains poured on Mark and Mechelle Tipton’s Marshall, North Carolina, neighborhood, flooding their mobile home with up to 24 inches of water. They escaped through the back door and up the hill to safety. However, they lost many of their belongings—and their home—to last year’s historic storm. The nearby French Broad River flowed…
Media
Emergency Field Hospital Photos
Emergency Field Hospital These photographs are available for news media outlet use in coverage of Samaritan's Purse-related stories. If your news outlet uses a photograph, please credit: "Courtesy of Samaritan's Purse." These photographs are not for commercial use. Jamaica 2025 At maximum capacity, the Emergency Field Hospital staff can treat more than 200 patients and perform…
Crisis & Disaster Response
Thanking God for a New Home in Burnsville
Lashasta Johnson’s Burnsville, North Carolina, home was unlivable after Hurricane Helene flung a tree through the roof and mold quickly spread through the dwelling due to significant water damage. She didn’t know what to do or who to turn to. Thankfully, she soon came into contact with Samaritan’s Purse and was quickly approved for a…
