Samaritan Ministries members offer prayer and financial support for young members with cancer
Over the past five years, ministry members have shared more than $7 million for young ones’ cancer needs
PEORIA, Ill. — Childhood Cancer Awareness Month is an opportunity to reflect on the challenges and needs for families facing that difficult situation. Members of Samaritan Ministries International(Samaritan) send shares to fellow member families who are dealing with a number of health issues — sometimes a child’s cancer diagnosis — giving spiritual encouragement and financial help for those needs.
“Samaritan Ministries members come alongside families struggling with childhood cancer treatments and diagnoses and connect them with fellow believers who can help share their burdens,” said Anthony Hopp, Samaritan’s chief purpose officer.
“Again and again, our members have comforted other families with notes of sympathy and prayers for healing,” Hopp said. “Jesus is the Great Healer in all matters, and we do our best to carry out His work.”
Cancer is consistently the top health care need that Samaritan members share. From 2017 to 2021, members shared $7,003,217 in cancer-related needs for members under 18.
“Cancer at any stage of life can be devastating, but it’s especially soul-wrenching when it happens to a child,” Hopp said. “Our hearts go out to those children and their families as we observe Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.”
Samaritan gives people of Biblical faith an effective, Bible-driven health care community in which approximately $30 million in medical needs is shared person to person every month. Over the past 27 years, Samaritan Ministries members have aided thousands of families and individuals, sharing more than $3 billion in needs while also praying for and encouraging fellow members through personal notes, cards and letters.
One Samaritan member family from Tennessee recently expressed their gratitude for fellow members’ support as their 6-year-old son was finishing more than two years of treatment for leukemia.
“Thank you all for being part of our family’s support system as we walked this road with Gabe,” Jill wrote in the Samaritan Ministries Community Facebook Group. “Being a Samaritan member was a huge blessing to us during this process.
“We are so proud of Gabe and his joyful spirit even during some very challenging few years. Walking beside him as his mama really has been an honor. Thank God for sustaining us through these last two years and thank God for sweet Gabriel Robert’s life. We can't wait to see what is in store for this child.”
Other Samaritan members experiencing cancer also wrote or called in to share their experiences:
Steve and Stacie from Kansas wrote:
“We had to walk a cancer journey and Samaritan and the supporting members were there for us every step of the way.”
Stephen and Amy from South Dakota shared:
“We are so thankful for all the loving and encouraging notes we received with so many of the shares. Amy is recovering well, and they believe the cancer they knew of has been removed. Again, we are so grateful to all the help we received and all the prayers.”
Wallace and Christina, who live in New Jersey, said:
“Thank you for everything you do for all of us as members. This ministry is such a blessing and my family has been blessed to be a part of it for a year now. God is so good! We are so happy to be a part of something that glorifies God. Health insurance does not do that. Because of a share for my husband, we were introduced to a member of our local community. Her son is battling cancer and we have been praying for each other. We appreciate everything Samaritan does and what it represents! All glory to God!”
Samaritan Ministries currently has a membership of 282,541 individuals from 83,700 households.
Samaritan has no limited enrollment period. Government exchange-based health insurance requires signups to occur only during open enrollment periods unless one qualifies for a special enrollment period due to a “life event” such as losing coverage, getting married, moving, or having a baby.
Samaritan Ministries health care sharing offers additional advantages:
- No network restrictions. When medical care is needed, Samaritan members choose the health care provider, hospital, and pharmacy that work best for them.
- The direct-sharing approach allows members to not only help fellow believers with their medical financial needs but to pray for and connect with them on a regular basis.
- Monthly shares are hundreds of dollars less per month than insurance.
Learn more about Samaritan Ministries International here; visit the Samaritan website at www.samaritanministries.org, or follow the ministry on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
