Ibraheem Alsaad didn’t want to leave his home in Syria. He and his wife, Nisreen, were teachers at the local primary school. But when ISIS surrounded their town, the school closed, and they lost their jobs. They suffered for eight months as ISIS cut off their access to electricity and then to food. Finally, their home…
Crisis & Disaster Response
Franklin Graham Travels to Colombia to Support Work with Venezuelan Migrants
NOTE: This article reflects the situation in Colombia/Venezuela as of Franklin Graham’s trip in Oct. 2018. For more recent information, go to our Colombia relief landing page and see other updated articles listed there. As Samaritan’s Purse President Franklin Graham walked the Simón Bolívar International Bridge in Cúcuta, Colombia on Monday, he was moved by…
Operation Christmas Child
The Greatest Journey Photos
The Greatest Journey 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. Boys and girls in Ghana eagerly raise their hands to answer a question in The Greatest Journey discipleship…
Crisis & Disaster Response
Southeast Church Among First to Welcome an Afghan Family
The children run to greet them with a slew of hugs and smiles before they even get the door open all the way. They’re so excited to welcome the team and to see what surprises the day will bring. They might share a meal together, go to the grocery store, visit the park, or shop…
Warmly Welcoming Those Who’ve Fled Afghanistan
“Seeing our children play with toys is the first happy day we’ve had in a long time,” said the Afghan father, his eyes wistful as he watched his little ones. This weary family was just one of countless others who experienced firsthand what most of the world only saw in shocking photos and broadcasts back…
Media
Press Release Samaritan’s Purse Ethiopia Airlift 2-12-2021
Samaritan's Purse Airlifts 30+ Tons of Food Supplies to Conflict-Stricken Ethiopia; Thousands of Children at Risk of Severe Malnutrition Boone, N.C., Feb. 12, 2021—Samaritan’s Purse, an international Christian relief organization, is airlifting life-saving food to children suffering in northern Ethiopia. Months of internal conflict within the country has left millions without access to basic necessities.…
Celebrating Freedom in Jesus Christ in Alaska
Wednesday, June 19, 2024. It’s a day that Ruth Szymansky will never forget. A few days prior, Ruth and her husband, Matt, a retired Marine Master Gunnery Sergeant, arrived at Samaritan Lodge Alaska for Week 4 of the Operation Heal Our Patriots summer season. Ruth applied to the program after stumbling across a mention of…
Car Auction to Help Military Couples
North Carolina businessman and car collector George Shinn is auctioning off a 700-plus-horsepower Stryker Ford Mustang muscle car, custom painted with the stars and stripes. Shinn, a friend and supporter of Samaritan’s Purse, first announced the July 25-27 car auction during the 2024 Operation Heal Our Patriots reunion in Orlando earlier this year. “This weekend,…
Celebrating a Season of Changed Lives
As the year’s last two flights of veterans and spouses lifted off on Friday (Sept. 23), the 11th summer season of Operation Heal Our Patriots in Alaska came to an end, and we thank God for the wonderful, grace-filled testimonies these couples now have to share. Over the course of 17 weeks, 164 couples came…
Discipleship, Education & Training
Military Couples Start Fresh During Alaska Adventure
Mike Woodard’s muscular frame stands six-foot-four. During his time as a soldier in the U.S. Army, there’s no doubt the enemy should and would have feared him in close quarters. He served bravely in a 2011-12 combat tour to Afghanistan, though it came at great cost. He got blown up three times—once each by a…
