Christian Service
Christian Relief Organizations
Christian relief organizations bring emergency aid, food, water, shelter, and medical care, to people hit by disaster, war, famine, and poverty. They are often first in and last out. If you are living through a crisis, help exists for you. If you want to help others, these groups turn compassion into supplies on the ground.
If you need relief now
Find help near you now
If a disaster or crisis has left you without food, shelter, or basic needs, reach for immediate help first. In the United States, start here.
- Dial 211 or visit 211.org. Run by United Way, 211 connects you to local food, housing, rent, utility, and other assistance. It is free and available across most of the United States, day and night.
- findhelp.org. A free search for local aid by ZIP code, food, housing, money, clothing, health, and more.
See more free ways to find help near you, gathered in one place.
What relief organizations do
Relief is aid in an emergency: the truck of water after the flood, the tent after the earthquake, the meal in the refugee camp. Christian relief organizations mobilize quickly and often stay to help communities rebuild. Scripture ties this care for the afflicted to light itself.
Well-known Christian relief organizations include:
- Samaritan's Purse. An evangelical Christian relief organization that deploys emergency field hospitals, water systems, and disaster teams around the world.
- World Vision. Provides emergency relief in disasters and long-term development, working in nearly 100 countries.
- Catholic Relief Services. Delivers international humanitarian aid in famine, conflict, and disaster on behalf of the US Catholic community.
- Convoy of Hope. A faith-based organization known for large-scale disaster response and community feeding programs.
- Mercy Ships. Operates hospital ships staffed by Christian volunteers, providing free surgeries and medical care in port nations.
These organizations are named for information only. Details are accurate to the best of our knowledge, but they may change; please confirm on each group’s own website. Being listed here is not an endorsement, and none of these organizations are affiliated with The Living Bread.
How to help
In a disaster, financial gifts to established organizations are usually far more useful than sending goods, because relief teams can buy exactly what is needed nearby. Give to groups already working in the affected area, and consider giving regularly so they are funded before the next crisis hits.
Many relief organizations also train and send volunteers. Locally, disaster-response teams and churches always need hands.
Find a way to serve in the Living Bread app, where local needs and volunteer openings are posted by real people and verified ministries. You can also find a church near you and ask how to join its outreach, or explore the directory of churches to see who is already serving in your area.
Frequently asked questions
- What do Christian relief organizations do?
- They provide emergency aid, food, clean water, shelter, and medical care, to people affected by disasters, war, famine, and extreme poverty, and often help communities rebuild afterward.
- What are examples of Christian relief organizations?
- Samaritan's Purse, World Vision, Catholic Relief Services, Convoy of Hope, and Mercy Ships are well-known examples. They are described factually here and are not affiliated with The Living Bread.
- What is the best way to help after a disaster?
- Give money to established organizations already working in the affected area rather than shipping goods. Cash lets relief teams buy exactly what is needed locally, which is faster and reduces waste.
Why Christians serve
Underneath every soup kitchen, shelter, and relief truck is a Person. Jesus said that whatever we do for the hungry, the sick, the stranger, and the prisoner, we do for him. Service is not how Christians earn God’s love; it is how they answer it. If you want to know the One who first loved us, you are welcome to come and see, in your own time and with no pressure.
Come and seeWhy Jesus?Freely ye have received, freely give.