Samaritan's Purse Canada

What we offer

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Samaritan's Purse Canada is a nondenominational evangelical Christian disaster relief organization that has been providing spiritual and physical aid to hurting people around the world since 1973.

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Locations/Structure in Ontario:

In Ontario, Samaritan’s Purse Canada is able to provide assistance to vulnerable populations who are victims of natural disasters and other emergencies by providing experienced site leadership and trained volunteers to remove damaged and/or destroyed contents, clean out and remediate flooded basements, mold sanitization, cutting, chipping and removal of organic debris, yard clean-up, and spiritual and emotional support and prayers. Within Ontario, we operate a Disaster Response Unit (DRU), which is a tractor trailer outfitted with an office, generators, pumps, hand tools, and safety gear that we utilize to equip staff and volunteers to help those affected by disaster.

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Emergency Management Service Scope and what your agency provides:

 

Samaritan’s Purse is an organization committed to excellence and to the achievement of real results. Being quick, efficient, and impactful is in our organizational DNA, but more importantly, being relational and sharing a deep love with people in need is our character. These qualities are woven throughout the distinct way in which we do our work – both internationally and within Canada.

 

Partnering with the local faith community provides unique opportunities to not only offer physical help during the immediate clean-up phase, but also to address emotional needs. The destruction of homes and property is often the most visible impact of a disaster. Emotional distress and trauma are common and local Samaritan’s Purse volunteers are positioned to provide the relational support that people need as they get back on their feet. Through our compassionate volunteers, families not only receive clean-up services, they also receive valuable human interaction and a shoulder to lean on to provide hope for the future. Rapid Response Team chaplains trained by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association often work alongside the Disaster Relief Units and provide support to the compassion ministry of local churches, facilitating next steps in emotional and spiritual care as requested by the homeowner.

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Services the organization provides in each pillar:

Recovery

Samaritan’s Purse Canada provides home and property clean-up and reclamation, contents removal, mud-outs/gut-outs, basement sanitization after flood events, chainsaw/wood chipping/organic debris removal, episodic volunteer management and rapid response chaplaincy support.

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Capacity: (Human and Material Resources)

Samaritan’s Purse Canada Disaster Relief Program is strategically positioned in three Regions across Canada – West, Central and East Canada - with assets, resources, and leadership teams in each Region. The main assets used by Samaritan’s Purse in disasters are Disaster Relief Units or DRUs. Each DRU is a state-of-the-art, custom-built trailer, stocked with all of the equipment needed for relief efforts. The back of the trailer houses tools and equipment such as chain saws, pumps, generators, air compressors, ladders, wheelbarrows, and other hand tools. A small office at the front of the trailer serves as a command center for coordinating volunteer relief efforts under the auspices of the local municipality.

 

The office is fully equipped with satellite, computers, and communication resources that enable Samaritan’s Purse to maintain communications in any disaster zone in North America. Other equipment that supports the DRU includes a Bobcat loader, pick-up trucks, and trailers.

 

These DRUs often become a focal point of hope and help in an affected community, acting as volunteer coordination centers to quickly carry the message that help has arrived to those reeling in the aftermath of a disaster.