Mercy Ships
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| Founded | 1978 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Founder Donald Stephens Co-Founder Deyon Stephens |
| Focus | Surgery, Healthcare, Development |
| Location | |
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Area served
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Developing nations in Africa |
| Owner | Donated by Keith Larkin |
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Key people
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Myron E. Ullman III Chairman Donald Stephens, president |
| Slogan | Bringing Hope and Healing |
| Mission | To provide free healthcare and improve healthcare delivery systems in the poorest nations |
| Website | www.mercyships.org |
Mercy Ships is an international charity. Mercy Ships currently operates the largest non-governmental hospital ship in the world, providing humanitarian aid like free health care, community development projects, community health education, mental health programs, agriculture projects, and palliative care for terminally ill patients.
Mercy Ships has operated in more than 57 developing nations and 18 developed nations around the world, with a current focus on the countries of Africa.
The organization has its International Services Center (ISC) in Garden Valley, Texas. Mercy Ships also has 16 national resource offices in countries that include Spain, Britain, Canada, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, South Africa, Australia, France, Korea, Denmark, Belgium, New Zealand, Sweden and Norway.
A major inspiration for Mercy Ships president and founder Don Stephens was the work of the international hospital ship SS Hope. Stephens' research showed that 95 of the 100 largest cities in the world were port cities. Therefore, a hospital ship could deliver healthcare very efficiently to large numbers of people. The birth of Stephens' profoundly disabled son, John Paul, also inspired him to move forward with his vision of a floating hospital. A visit with Mother Teresa in Calcutta, India, further deepened his commitment to serving the world's neediest people.
Mercy Ships was founded in 1978 by Don and Deyon Stephens. It has outfitted and operated a total of four hospital ships to serve developing nations since 1978. Originally, it was a part of the YWAM (Youth with a Mission) family of Christian ministries, before becoming a standalone organization in 2003. The organization uses retired ocean liners and ferries that have been transformed into floating hospitals.
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Wikipedia