Did you know that International Samaritan Day is going to be celebrated every October 25, starting this year? It’s true, and we just invented it, but what a great idea!

We chose 10/25 because Luke 10:25 is when the Parable of the Good Samaritan begins. The Good Samaritan stopped to help a stranger in need, and put that man on a path to recovery.

That’s what you’ve done too.

For the last five years, hundreds of you have been running in or donating to the Samaritan 5K every October to put our scholars on a path to a brighter future. You got them tablets so they could study when the pandemic hit, and then funded food support for them when it dragged on. You brought fresh water to an entire community in Tegucigalpa in 2022, and have funded complete scholarships for 50 kids in each of the last two years. You have been awesome! 

The young people you support are taking your lead. They are dedicated to being Samaritans, helping their family and people in their communities. 

So we are going to celebrate you and our scholars this year on International Samaritan Day. You will hear their stories of how they’ve been a Good Samaritan and who has been a Good Samaritan to them. Some of our scholars and friends will be participating in 5K races, organized by our international teams or fundraising partners. In other locations, our scholars will be giving out awards to their Good Samaritans. It will be a day of celebrating, and our scholars are inviting you to join them!

Do you have someone who helped change the course of your life? We’d love to hear about your Good Samaritan, and I bet they’d like to know the difference they made. Just send an email to communications@intsam.org with your story, and we may share it over the next few weeks!

Please consider being a Good Samaritan for someone leading up to 10/25 to celebrate International Samaritan Day with us. Please also prayerfully consider making a big-time gift to fund scholarships.

By October 25, together we will raise $150,000, enough to fund 50 scholarships! That will allow 50 children to stay in school and be on a path out of poverty. 

I know these scholars will continue to make a big difference for their communities and our world. Just take Hannah for example. You can see Hannah’s Good Samaritan story in the video below, and you can help our scholars change their lives and others by supporting scholarships.

International Samaritan is a Christ-centered organization built on Catholic Social Teaching. Our mission is to walk hand-in-hand with people who live and work in the garbage dumps of developing nations to help them break out of poverty.

We provide holistic scholarships for students from kindergarten through college, and we’re currently supporting nearly 1,000 scholars in Central America, the Caribbean, and East Africa.

Would your church or school group like to partner and travel with us? Learn about our Learn, Serve, Grow program.

Empower our scholars to change their lives. Become a monthly supporter.

Mike Tenbusch, President

Mike joined International Samaritan in 2018 after two decades of leading social change in his hometown of Detroit, Michigan. He’s a University of Michigan Law grad and author of The Jonathan Effect: Helping Kids and Schools Win the Battle Against Poverty. He and his wife, Maritza, have three children who keep them young.