Samaritan's Purse helps out across the globe with the disaster response team program, and now there's an opportunity to find out more information.
"The whole idea is to explain the entire disaster assistance response team program of Samaritan's Purse. That applies to our Canadian disaster relief, such as the 2016 Fort McMurray wildfires, all the wildfires in B.C. last year, or flooding in Ottawa a couple of years straight. It also involves responding to earthquakes, tornadoes, cyclones, and hurricanes in places like the Philippines, Japan, and Turkey. It's basically laying out, this what we do, this is why we need qualified Canadian Christians to get on board," Frank King, News Media Relations Manager with Samaritan's Purse says.
As the team continues to expand, King is excited to see how the ministry grows. "We need lots of fresh bodies and folks that want to take part and be the hands and feet of Jesus to folks that have lost so much either in Canada or around the world."
King says that as a member of the team, "We would come to you when needed and say, 'Are you available to fly to the Philippines in the next five days to help clean up after a hurricane?' Obviously, Samaritan's Purse pays for the flight and the food while folks are in these countries."
As natural disaster strike quickly, that's why King says it's important to have a large committed team willing to help out. "We need to have enough people able to respond with us whenever the need arises. We'll always need more than the actual number needed because people are busy and won't be able to come every single time."
As far as what qualities make the 'ideal team member', "Generally, someone with medical skills, because Samaritan's Purse has all the equipment for the largest size emergency field hospital possible waiting in the Calgary warehouse to be deployed," King says. "There's also those that have experience in disaster relief like operating a saw, long days of clearing trees, mudding out flooded basements, sifting through debris after a wildfire."
The main point being someone that wants to help out and be the hands and feet of Jesus. "We want to make sure that they are comfortable with where we're coming from. We're an evangelical Christian organization, and part of the reason we do this work is so that God opens doors for us to gently, compassionately proclaim the Gospel to people who need Christ," King says.
For those wanting to learn more about the disaster response team program, there will be an information session at Grant Memorial Church 877 Wilkes Avenue on June 3 from 6:45- 8:45 p.m.