Be a Canadian Disaster Relief Volunteer

How we respond

When floods, fires and other disasters strike, people are quickly overwhelmed. Outside help can be crucial as communities struggle to recover and rebuild. Samaritan’s Purse responds immediately providing assistance through highly trained volunteers, partnering with local churches, and coordinating with emergency responders.

Our volunteer teams assist uninsured or under-insured homeowners with critical tasks such as possession recovery, mud-outs (after flooding), ash sifting (after fires), debris removal, tree clean-up and more. Because of volunteers and donors like you, Samaritan’s Purse can provide these services at no cost to the homeowner, assisting them in their ongoing recovery.

All registered volunteers will receive an orientation before they are paired with an experienced leader, and will be given any necessary safety equipment. No skills are required to volunteer with Canadian Disaster Relief, although some skills can be helpful. We look for volunteers who have a servant’s heart and are willing and able to work hard.

Volunteers must provide their own transportation to the host church site. Once on site, Samaritan’s Purse provides food and accommodations. Volunteers may need to bring their own sleeping bags, air mattresses and/or cots. Please note that accommodations are shared and typically are very simple.

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Daily deployment schedule

Worksites generally operate Monday through Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Below is an example of a daily schedule:

6:30 a.m. — Breakfast (overnight volunteers)
7:00 a.m. — Devotions (overnight volunteers)
7:30 a.m. — Orientation & Safety
8:00 a.m. — Leave for worksites
12 noon — Lunch (typically onsite)
5:00 p.m. — Return all tools to the Disaster Relief Unit trailer