After 16 years of collecting and delivering Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts, Samaritan’s Purse launched its own follow-up discipleship program for the boys and girls who receive them. In 2009, this 12-lesson course called The Greatest Journey started at Good Shepherd Church in Pifo, Ecuador, located just outside of Quito, and today has grown to…
Discipleship, Education & Training
Veteran Couple Finds Forgiveness, Freedom in Christ While in Alaska
Army Corporal Hamilton Kinard’s 15-month deployment to Iraq was a turning point in his military career. At age 19, he had joined the military “to make my dad happy. I hadn’t done much with my life up to that point and I wanted to make a difference. I wanted to help somebody.” In 2005, as…
Long-Awaited Help Arrives for Hurricane Victims in Louisiana
Rusty and Gloria Terry were trapped in their home the day Hurricane Laura slammed into southwestern Louisiana. Rusty had worked hard the previous day to repair his truck, but when they finally got ready to evacuate, the truck wouldn’t shift gears. Rusty tried and tried, but eventually realized they were stuck. “I couldn’t believe it,”…
Crisis & Disaster Response
Help Arrives for Families Fleeing Conflict in Cambodia
UPDATE MONDAY, JAN. 5: As the ceasefire between Cambodia and Thailand holds, many displacement camps have shut down and people are beginning to return to their home villages. As a result, Samaritan’s Purse is no longer distributing relief items along the border, but is actively assessing and meeting the needs of local Cambodians through our…
50 Years of Ministry
Deploying Military Couples to the Frontlines of Disasters
At the 2019 Operation Heal Our Patriots Reunion in Dallas, Texas, we invited military couples to join our U.S. Disaster Relief efforts as part of our new Team Patriot project. Since the first Team Patriot teams deployed in August of last year, Samaritan’s Purse has sent more than 100 individuals to serve again on the…
Hope Begins Here
Not long before Army Sergeant Ian Hunt arrived with his wife Maria at Samaritan Lodge Alaska, Ian had gone through treatment after attempting to take his own life. He had believed the nightmare of his battlefield experiences and injuries had become more than he could bear. In 2012, on his third deployment, he was severely…
Operation Christmas Child
Operation Christmas Child®
Operation Christmas Child Operation Christmas Child delivers gift-filled shoeboxes to children in need around the world together with the Gospel of Jesus Christ
Operation Heal Our Patriots
Operation Heal Our Patriots® Operation Heal Our Patriots gives injured and wounded post-9/11 veterans and their spouses the opportunity for spiritual refreshment, physical renewal, and marriage enrichment. Couples participate in Biblically based seminars that help strengthen their relationships with God and others and enjoy the beauty of God’s creation with outdoor activities at our Alaskan…
Operation Christmas Child
Operation Christmas Child Latino Night
Welcome to Latino Night! Make a difference in the lives of children in need around the world by volunteering with Operation Christmas Child at one of our Latino Nights across the country. Register to Join Us for Latino Night! Sign Up Here Join us for a special bilingual program featuring guests and food, and participate in inspecting…
Media
Press Release: Samaritan’s Purse DC-8 Makes Final Flight from Greensboro, Delivering Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes to Hurricane-Ravaged Jamaica
Samaritan’s Purse DC-8 Makes Final Flight from Greensboro, Delivering Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes to Hurricane-Ravaged Jamaica BOONE, N.C., Dec. 4, 2025 —This Friday, December 5th, the last U.S.-registered DC-8 will embark on its final mission—carrying 9,200 shoebox gifts to Jamaica. These Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes are packed with toys, school supplies, and personal care items…
