THE first purpose-built Samaritan's Purse DRU (Disaster Relief Unit), has arrived in Australia and will be used in communities in times of disaster.
The first of possibly several response units was on show at Cleveland Baptist Church last week.
The 17m trailer, manufactured in the US, was shipped to Australia where it is run by local staff who are always on call to be deployed anywhere across the country.
It is hoped that in the future, several units will be available and stationed in each state. There are five units in the USA and three units deployed in Canada.
Samaritan's Purse was one of the disaster relief charities that helped people most affected by the Bundaberg floods.
This domestic disaster relief program was established in 2011, the year of the tsunami in Japan, the floods in Queensland and the earthquake in Christchurch, when it was realised that there was a need to respond and coordinate volunteer programs to assist those who most suffer when disaster strikes.
Samaritan's Purse works with a range of agencies and organisations who are focused on disaster relief. It aims to provide an efficient, effective and coordinated response in the weeks and months after a disaster.
In disaster affected communities, Samaritan's Purse partners with local churches to implement locally led disaster recovery programs.
These use the resources of Samaritan's Purse with site management teams, who are well equipped with tools, equipment and materials.
Visit www.samaritanspurse. com.au/sector/disasterrelief/
For a display itinerary visit www.samaritanspurse.com.au/2014itinerary/
Samaritans Purse are also know for their Operation Christmas Child where they encourage people to fill a shoebox as a Christmas present for needy children in third world countries. Hundreds of thousands of these shoebox Christmas gifts have been sent overseas from our local schools.
