On Saturday, October 12, International Samaritan is hosting its annual Samaritan 5K race.  The Pawuk Family and Friends Team is focusing our efforts to raise $3000 to cover a holistic scholarship for academic expenses, food, health, wellness, student enrichment, and in-country team leaders.  We are kindly asking that you consider “running” with us anytime between now and October 12. To “run” actually means run, or read or walk, or knit or dance, or sing or garden, or whatever you enjoy doing, and while you are participating, think about the children and their families who will be lifted out of garbage dumps because you cared to give.

On Friday, October 11, 2024, Andrew will be celebrating his birthday with our scholars in Guatemala City. Instead of gifts, please consider making a donation instead, it would mean the world to Andrew to support a scholars who would otherwise work in a garbage dump in Guatemala City; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; San Pedro Sula, Honduras; Tegucigalpa, Honduras; Kingston, Jamaica; Nairobi, Kenya; and Kampala, Uganda.

In 2024 we have witnessed times of great pain and joy in the garbage dump communities we serve. In August the garbage dump collapsed in Kampala, Uganda killing 36 and over 50 people still missing from the avalanche of garbage. Despite this tragedy, donors like you fully funded emergency relief for families who were displaced and left jobless after the dump closed to provide emergency food relief and group counseling.  In June we celebrated the grand opening of the new Family Life Center in Tegucigalpa, Honduras which will provide children and families a safe place for academic tutoring, recreation, meetings, and skill development. 

International Samaritan was founded one summer 30 years ago when St. John’s Jesuit students took a wrong turn in Guatemala City during a week of service work. A horrific garbage dump was before them….people of all ages, children to adults, were trapped, scavenging for food or for items to use or to sell in order to survive. This wrong turn was the springboard to International Samaritan’s mission to eliminate people having to work in worldwide garbage dumps to survive.

Over time and with an education, a garbage dump child becomes an educated young adult with credentials for a career and enough money for a family to leave behind the dump….Doctors, mechanics, nurses, teachers, and on and on, are what these young adults have become over 30 years. Career possibilities have been endless.

International Samaritan promises that every penny donated in this campaign goes to a student’s well-being overseas and not to administrative expenses in the USA.  We kindly ask that you consider giving towards helping a child's future.  Thank you.