Karina knows what it’s like to receive an unexpected gift from strangers. One year around Christmastime, a pre-teen Karina and her seven siblings were surprised to see stacks of colorful shoeboxes ready to be distributed to children at their church. Her large family was used to sharing what possessions they had and celebrating Christmas without…
Operation Christmas Child
The Happy Grandmas Send God’s Love
Their days often start early and end late, but when you’re doing what you love, the busy days don’t really seem like work at all. “This brings us joy every day. We give every day to God, every part of this ministry,” said Barbara Korn, who is part of the dynamic duo known as “The…
Crisis & Disaster Response
Serving in Jesus’ Name After Alabama Floods
Our disaster relief response in Pelham, Alabama, closed on Nov. 4. We rejoice that God used 83 volunteers to help 84 homeowners, with three people placing their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ! Please watch the video above to find out more about one homeowner, Penny Gibson, who thanks the Lord for the Samaritan’s Purse…
Operation Christmas Child
An Operation Christmas Child Shoebox Gave Hope to an Orphan in Honduras
Yuri Lopez grew up in 14 different orphanages in Honduras, after being separated from her family when she was 2 years old. Her life seemed hopeless. But when she was 6, Yuri received an Operation Christmas Child shoebox gift and “experienced hope for the very first time,” she said. “Everything in my shoebox was special,”…
Sifting for Hope and Memories After Colorado Wildfires
Standing on the ash heap of what was once her home, Karla Bennett fought back tears as she said, “Your home is like your mother’s embrace, and we miss that. You can be somewhere with four walls, but it’s not the same as what you’ve put around you every day—it’s all gone.” For Karla and…
Crisis & Disaster Response
Responding in Storm-Damaged South Dakota
Samaritan’s Purse is bringing relief to areas around Brookings County, South Dakota, after a derecho packing 107-mph winds tore through residential areas in the eastern part of the state. One of our disaster relief units—a tractor-trailer filled with relief supplies and equipment— arrived in South Dakota Sunday night, May 15. VOLUNTEER IN SOUTH DAKOTA Volunteers…
Our Ministry
Pushing Themselves to the Limit—For a Good Cause
Matt and Jessica Cook stood satisfied at the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro staring out at a carpet of clouds hovering nearly two miles below them. The father-daughter duo from Cuba, Missouri, had reached Africa’s highest peak—19,341 feet above sea level—after an almost weeklong test of strength and endurance. With a love for Samaritan’s Purse and…
Operation Christmas Child
200 Millionth Shoebox Gift Celebrated in Charlotte
Samaritan’s Purse President Franklin Graham encouraged volunteers and staff at the Charlotte Processing Center in North Carolina during a community celebration event on Dec. 3. He expressed thanks to volunteers in Charlotte as well as the thousands of volunteers working in seven other processing center locations across the country to prepare shoebox gifts for international…
Operation Christmas Child
The Gospel Comes to Remote Parts of the Philippines
Princess used to worry a lot. The 13-year-old lives with her grandmother and they sometimes don’t have enough food for three meals a day. She rarely sees her parents, who left their remote village for the city in hopes of finding work and securing a better life for their family. But these days she doesn’t…
Operation Christmas Child
God’s Perfect Timing in Honduras
Guanaja is one of Honduras’ three picturesque Bay Islands, located 44 miles off the north coast of the mainland in the Caribbean. One of its cays is home to the densely packed tiny town of El Cayo: population 5,300. It’s known as the Venice of Honduras because of a series of winding canals that run…
