International Samaritan strives to build good communities for the people living in and around city garbage dumps. Garbage dump dwellers are some of the poorest people in the world. They barely survive by digging through the city dump for tin and other recyclables to sell. Many eat food discarded at the dump. Most of these communities do not have running water, or electricity. Children often don't have shoes or proper clothing. They live in homes made of cardboard, tin and other items that the families collect.

International Samaritan first starts working with local governments and other non-profits to try to bring basic infrastructure to garbage dump communities. We can then start to address the vital needs of each community. In Guatemala, that meant building a nursery first, in order to get babies and toddlers out of harm’s way. Schools are constructed so children can get an education and be fed nutritious meals.

I.S. builds homes, medical facilities, community centers, adult training schools and funds microloan programs in Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, Haiti and Egypt. Visit our Impact page to see a complete list of what we have accomplished.

Disaster Relief

In 2008, International Samaritan responded with disaster relief in Guatemala where avalanches of garbage at the Guatemala City dump killed more than 15 people and destroyed houses. After the earthquake in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, International Samaritan committed to helping build 18 new schools with the refugees.

Future Goals

Future goals include expanding services in Egypt, Nicaragua and the Philippines.

How You Can Help

Short-term service trips are being planned for garbage dump communities in Central America, as well as Haiti and Egypt. Volunteers not only lend physical and educational support to our missions, but more importantly, they bring hope to the people we serve.