April 2026
Greetings DART Members,
I remember when I first learned about DART at Samaritan's Purse. I thought, “You can get paid to do this type of work?” The Lord had given me a desire to meet people at ground zero of devastation, and here was an organization that had a mission to do exactly that—and I wanted to be part of it!
I was hired to specialize in skilled trades and construction management. In true DART fashion, my first four deployments were in something different. In my case, it was finance. I now work as the operations supervisor for the IMT in Boone. While praying through taking my current role, a mentor shared an analogy with me. He described a sailboat tied to a dock with someone looking at it and saying, “Give me the map and tell me where to go Lord, and I will do it. I am ready.” My mentor said that sometimes you just have to prepare, get into the boat without a map, shove off the dock, put up the sail, and allow the wind of the Spirit to guide you.
“Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him, and He will act.”
When we deploy to a disaster, we often have no idea what the Lord has for us there. We go trusting that He will do the work and make His Name great. We go prepared, having planned and trained for multiple circumstances, but we still have to trust Him for the results. Every single aspect of a DART response, however mundane, is an act of worship where we exercise our gifts and talents for His glory. Be prepared by living as a faithful follower of Christ, and when the time comes, get in the boat, push off the dock, raise the sail, and humbly worship as the Lord guides you.
Ryan ComptonIMT Operations Supervisor
Lebanon is facing a growing crisis due to the ongoing hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah. This led to the internal displacement of over 1 million people. Many are now seeking refuge in shelters, schools, or with host families, while others remain without stable accommodation. Samaritan's Purse airlifted over 150 tons of critically needed supplies aboard our 767 cargo plane on multiple flights. Items included kitchen kits, family tents, blankets, jerry cans, tarps, and solar lights. In addition, emergency health kits were delivered to clinics and hospitals that can serve up to 10,000 people for three months.
DART is collaborating with partners to assess the evolving humanitarian situation and to explore additional ways to expand the response for those affected by the crisis. Please pray for those who are displaced that their need for safety, shelter, and food will be met.
For shelter and non-food items (NFI), Samaritan's Purse maintains DART readiness through a combination of prepositioned supplies, strong logistical coordination, and continuous learning.
Prepositioned Supplies
In many disaster contexts, we anticipate serving displaced populations who have lost or fled their homes without taking essential household belongings. Our response focuses on providing immediate, life-saving support that reduces suffering and helps restore a sense of safety, dignity, and self-sufficiency.
To meet these needs, we maintain a stock of commonly distributed items which can be rapidly deployed for almost 20,000 households. These typically include:
- Plastic sheeting and/or tents to provide protection from the elements and create safer, more private living spaces
- Blankets to keep vulnerable family members warm since essential items may have been left behind
- Kitchen kits that contain basic utensils for self-sufficiency
- Solar (PUC) lights
Strong Logistical Coordination
Rapid deployment capacity is closely tied to the strength of our logistics team. Their ability to efficiently mobilize, transport, and deliver supplies to affected areas is critical to meeting urgent needs. This is supported by close coordination and clear communication across multiple teams prior to disaster events, ensuring that roles, processes, and resources are aligned and that we are prepared to respond without delay.
Continuous Learning
We maintain readiness through continuous learning and capacity building. This includes capturing lessons learned from past responses, monitoring global events and emerging risks, and staying current with recognized best practices and innovations in the humanitarian sector. Training is a key component of this effort. We aim to conduct at least one DART Shelter Program Manager training annually, while also exploring additional training opportunities to further strengthen the skills and preparedness of our DART staff for future responses.
Kyle Talle Global Technical Advisor—Shelter
- EFH Build: May 4–7, North Wilkesboro, North Carolina
- DART Safeguarding and Protection: June 3–5, Blowing Rock, North Carolina
- Advanced MedCo: June 8–10, Blowing Rock, North Carolina
- Admin, Base, and HR Training: June 22–26, Blowing Rock, North Carolina
- Shelter Training: June 22–26, North Wilkesboro, North Carolina
- DART MedOps/Logs: August 10–14, North Wilkesboro, North Carolina
- Community Outreach PM (Program Management and Ministry): August 17–21, Blowing Rock, North Carolina
- DART Infectious Disease Training: August 24–28, North Wilkesboro, North Carolina
Updating Medical Licensure
Did you know that in order to deploy in a medical capacity, we are required to submit current medical licensures for all clinical staff?
In order to be “deployment ready,” please ensure your readiness coordinator has a copy of the following documents, in addition to traveling with printed copies.
- Medical diploma
- Current medical license
- Board certification (if applicable)