Student Contributor -S. Hsu
Samaritan’s Purse is a religiously affiliated organization whose goal is to provide international relief. This relief includes construction, health care, disaster relief, and basic human needs (food, hygiene products, and water). The goal of Samaritan’s Pursue is to be the helping hand when all hope seems lost.
Samaritan’s Pursue has a variety of projects to choose from. Projects vary from agriculture, medicine, and Operation Christmas Child (where shoe boxes of age-specific gifts are sent to children in need across the globe). Since being founded in 1970 by Bob Pierce, Samaritan’s Purse has been partnering with local organizations ever since. The organization firmly believes in working with, and empowering people of the area that they are serving. Samaritan’s Pursue can be supported through monetary donations, toy and clothing donations, as well as volunteering with local projects. This organization may have been founded on religious beliefs, and continues to run as so, but the impact of all that it does is great.
A great way to get a classroom involved with this organization is through Operation Christmas Child (it can be coined as “holiday child”). Students and their families can choose a child to pick gifts for. The tag of the child will have their gender and age. Students and their families can then shop for the child. The gifts can include essentials like toiletries and clothes and/or fun stuff like toys! Students can then fill a shoe box with those items and bring it to the class. The class can then make a donation together. The shoe boxes will be sent to children in need all around the world. This is a great opportunity to talk about poverty, community, and caring for others.
