Samaritan's Purse Teams

Samaritan’s Purse Relief Teams have helped communities rebuild after the devastating South Asian tsunami, volcanic eruptions and hurricanes in Latin America, Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf Coast and floods in other areas of North America.

Each team responding to these crises has gone to serve and encourage those whose lives have been devastated by the disasters, living out the love and compassion embodied by Jesus Christ.

Building Shelter in El Salvador

A team of Canadians has returned from El Salvador, where the group was building temporary shelters and latrines for families displaced by volcanic eruptions. The largest volcano in El Salvador, Volcan Ilamatepec, erupted twice over a period of a few days in 2005, spewing ash and sulfurous water over a large area. More than 4,000 people were evacuated from the area.

Around 800 of the residents evacuated were moved to ramshackle community called Los Angeles, just outside of the city of Santa Ana. These families are still living in extremely poor conditions, in homes improvised from cardboard, plastic, wood, and pieces of metal. The community has no electricity, sewage, or water supply.

A Samaritan’s Purse Youth Team trip to El Salvador in December 2006 saw the youth start the initial construction of temporary shelters, and a Relief Team trip to the community in March saw the team complete over one hundred shelters for families in need.

Repairing the Gulf Coast

Over 10 Canadian Relief Teams responded to the call to help people whose lives has been battered by hurricane Katrina. Our Disaster Relief Unit, a tractor-trailer unit that serves as a base for relief teams in North America, traveled down to the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

The unit was based at a church in the region, and became a been a place of refugee and strength to victims of the hurricane. Canadian Relief Teams worked over 18,000 hours to help Samaritan’s Purse – Canada in the clean-up efforts for nearly 600 families in the Gulfport area.

Along the Gulf Coast, storm surges, winds, and rains flattened neighbourhoods and destroyed businesses. The Relief Teams spent hours hauling debris, removing uprooted trees, and tearing out moulded drywall and carpet. But more importantly, our volunteers have given a renewed sense of hope to those they’ve helped.

“Working side-by-side with homeowners, we [Samaritan’s Purse volunteers] offered hope – something a lot of people have lost,” said volunteer and Niagara Falls firefighter Marc Coons. “With hope comes the strength to carry on.”

Samaritan’s Purse – Canada Disaster Relief Unit is outfitted with more than $70,000 of much-needed supplies including chainsaws, water pumps, wheel barrows, hand tools, ladders, generators, and safety gear for volunteer workers. The unit also has a self-contained office equipped with VHF radios, satellite system, computers, and other office equipment.

 

Ways You Can Help
Pray Please pray for all of the Samaritan’s Purse Teams that are at work around the world – for lasting relationships to be built and the Name of Jesus Christ to be glorified.		Give Your gifts support the work of Samaritan’s Purse and our teams around the world as we meet people’s needs. Donate Here.