The Christian ministry Samaritan’s Purse announced Aug. 15 that it is flying 17 tons of relief supplies to Maui, Hawaii, to help with recovery from a series of deadly wildfires.
The Boone, NC-based ministry’s DC-8 aircraft departed Greensboro this morning. The supplies on board included solar lights and hygiene kits, plus other tools and equipment to help volunteers to sift through the wreckage and help residents find treasured mementos.
The wildfires have been the deadliest natural disaster in the state’s history. Beginning Aug. 8, a combination of dry conditions and strong winds mixed to devastate Maui with an estimated death toll now approaching 100.
“What has happened in Hawaii is nothing short of devastating,” said Samaritan’s Purse president Franklin Graham in a statement. “As the death toll has risen, my heart breaks for those who have lost loved ones and for the families who must now begin the long road to recovery. Please join me in praying for them and for our Samaritan’s Purse teams who are responding in Jesus’ Name.”
In addition to other service projects throughout the year, Samaritan’s Purse has run Operation Christmas Child since 1993. It’s the world’s largest Christmas project of its kind and has collected and delivered more than 188 million shoebox gifts to children in more than 170 countries and territories.