Humanitarian aid organization Samaritan’s Purse has sent 17 tons of relief supplies to Maui after raging wildfires devastated the island. More than 100 people have perished in the fires and over one thousand people are still missing. CBN News reports that volunteers with Samaritan’s Purse are giving the people of Maui hope, comfort, and faith through their help and compassion.
On board Samaritan’s Purse’s DC-8 cargo plane that arrived in Maui Tuesday morning were tools, solar lights, hygiene kits and other equipment. Volunteers with the organization flew from North Carolina to Maui to search through the ashes and wreckage recovery valuables for homeowners whose homes were destroyed.
Samaritan’s Purse Chief Operating Officer Edward Graham shared that “sifting is extremely important. We may think it’s something simple, but it helps bring healing and closure like no other way for a homeowner.”
The name Samaritan’s Purse comes from “the story of the Good Samaritan,” continued Graham. “We meet the immediate needs—we clothe, we give water, we give food, we give transportation. All of our work provides us opportunities to share the hope that is in us.”
Luther Harris, Vice President of North American Ministries for Samaritan’s Purse, affirmed the mission of Samaritan’s Purse sharing the heartfelt message that they are “here to stand by the side of the residents in Maui.” Speaking of the people of Maui, Harris said “they may not be blood relatives but they are ‘ohana’. They are family.”
Alongside Samaritan’s Purse disaster relief is the Billy Graham Evangelical Association Rapid Response Chaplains who are providing spiritual and emotional support. Franklin Graham, the CEO of Samaritan’s Purse, has been keeping his followers updated on his organization’s progress in Maui and reminding all to keep the people of Maui, their families, and the first responders in their prayers.