Disaster Assistance Response Teams: Answering the Call

“Disaster Assistance Response Team members are just humble, ordinary servants that keep their eyes on Jesus. It doesn’t mean this work is easy. The storms still come, but because they’re seeking the Lord, they’re able to step out in faith.” —Kristy Graham

Samaritan’s Purse mobilizes members of the Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) to respond to disasters across the globe. From treating COVID-19 patients in Central Park to supplying food to suffering children in Ethiopia, the DART is a critical component in meeting physical and spiritual needs.

Kristy Graham, the host of On the Ground with Samaritan’s Purse, sits down with Dave Holzhauer, the director of the international disaster response unit, to hear his perspective. He shares his experience serving on disaster responses, tells stories from the field, and invites us to learn more about the vision of the DART.

Dave outlines the purpose behind the team and explains the many different skill sets that are required to respond around the world.

Ken Isaacs, the vice president for programs and government relations, shares how Samaritan’s Purse responds to the sectors of humanitarian work by mirroring the story of the Good Samaritan found in Luke 10.

Kristy got to be a part of DART training to see firsthand how Samaritan’s Purse prepares present and future DART members to effectively respond and reduce suffering through humanitarian aid. She had the opportunity to sit down with new and veteran disaster responders to hear how training empowered them to hone their skills and abilities to serve.

“Every time we grow in the field, that requires growth and development at our international headquarters,” Dave shares. “Samaritan’s Purse should be the first people at a crisis: driving the response, meeting the needs, and first on the ground… There is not a response that we don’t depend completely on God.”

Dave and Kristy discuss how the ministry has witnessed God’s faithfulness in the past. Every individual on the DART roster relies on God’s power to meet critical needs in difficult places—asking Him for wisdom and guidance in every step.

Please continue to pray that God will call and equip the Samaritan’s Purse Disaster Assistance Response Team to meet the needs of people around the world. If you want more information on how to share God’s love by serving on a DART, visit our website for application details.