Samaritan's Purse is a nondenominational Christian organization providing spiritual and physical aid to communities around the world. Since 1970, Samaritan's Purse has helped meet the needs of those who are victims of war, poverty, natural disasters, disease, and famine.
One of the organization’s most visible outreach efforts is its Operation Christmas Child program: a global campaign that delivers gift-filled shoeboxes to children in need across the globe. Each online donor receives a QR code label for their box and a "Follow Your Box" email that lets them track their gift box to its destination country.
For years, Samaritan’s Purse staff and volunteers used a native iOS application and Apple devices to scan gift boxes and initiate the “Follow Your Box” tracking process. iPods and older iPhones were paired with sled scanners that provided both scanning capabilities and backup battery power.
While the setup worked well initially, it became increasingly costly to maintain as the hardware aged. Because the devices and sled scanners were sealed, declining batteries couldn’t simply be replaced—often requiring the entire device to be retired.
Hardware, especially scanners, was also a major source of frustration among volunteers. Due to the amount of manual work required to keep scanners functioning, Samaritan’s Purse designated a specific volunteer role called “Scanner Tech” at its shoebox processing centers. These Scanner Techs focused solely on assisting fellow volunteers with issues related to their devices.
Samaritan’s Purse needed a more sustainable and cost-effective solution that could build on the success of “Follow Your Box” without the growing hardware burden.
Throughout its search for a solution, Samaritan’s Purse had specific criteria in mind.
The organization wanted new hardware that wouldn’t require expensive maintenance down the line.
To accompany its new devices, Samaritan’s Purse (SP) also wanted a new mobile app that kept the same look and feel as its current iOS app. The app needed to be user friendly so it could be easily adopted by both SP staff and volunteers.
Lastly, the combined solution of new hardware plus a new app had to help Samaritan’s Purse lower its total cost of ownership (TCO).
After careful consideration, the Samaritan’s Purse team selected Cloud Inventory for its Mobile Enterprise Platform (MEP) and hardware solutions.
Samaritan's Purse planned to build a new MEP application that mirrored its former iOS app, so staff and volunteers already trained on the old interface could pick up the new one with almost no learning curve.
Alongside it, the organization purchased new handheld scanners and data storage devices designed to replace the aging iPods, iPhones, and sled scanners.
What set Cloud Inventory apart was the relationship it built with Samaritan's Purse throughout the sales process.
During on-site walkthroughs, the Cloud Inventory team learned how SP staff and volunteers actually used their existing technology, taking the time to listen to SP’s specific needs and demonstrate the TCO of various options.
This attention to detail gave Samaritan's Purse confidence that it wasn't just getting new hardware or a new mobile app, but a partner that understood the mission behind them.
“Cloud Inventory was able to help us think about a solution from a strategic point of view,” Erica Spence, Assistant Director of Volunteer Relations for OCC Domestic, said. “They engaged with the program and process in a way that was meaningful from a relationship perspective.”
Improved Hardware
Samaritan's Purse deployed its new “Follow Your Box” solutions in 2025. One day prior to the scheduled launch, SP’s Charlotte, NC, location went live with 120 devices for two hours. Everything went flawlessly, reaffirming the organization’s confidence in Cloud Inventory heading into its busiest season of the year.
The results showed up immediately. Within the first year of running its Cloud Inventory solutions, Samaritan's Purse scanned more shoeboxes than ever before: more than 9 million.
SP’s new handheld devices are equipped with built-in scanners and batteries that can be changed or swapped as needed, ending the costly hardware replacement cycle that came with the old, sealed devices.
A Better Volunteer Experience
Samaritan's Purse has received excellent feedback on how easy the new devices are to use. In optional volunteer surveys, scanners went from one of the most commonly noted complaints to one of the most praised.
The redesigned triggers on the scanners have even made volunteering more accessible.
“We have a special needs volunteer who had, in previous years, wanted to be a ‘scanner’ of shoeboxes, but because of physical limitations, he was unable to do that role,” Amy Tidwell, IT Program Manager for Operation Christmas Child Domestic, said. “This year, because of our new scanners and the magic trigger, he was able to scan!”
The new hardware also expanded the role of “Scanner Tech.”
“Those volunteers went from being constantly busy to having time on their hands,” Tidwell said. “We’ve since reassigned them as ‘PC Techs,’ broadening their focus to support technology across the floor.”
A True Technology Partner
With Cloud Inventory, Samaritan’s Purse received dedicated support before, during, and after go-live.
“Immediately following the implementation, the Cloud Inventory team was always available to answer questions and has been so responsive throughout the entire process,” Tidwell said. “That extra touch of being there before and after go-live has gone a long way.”
A Solution Built to Scale
Samaritan's Purse didn't have to choose between keeping the interface its people already knew and modernizing the hardware behind it. Cloud Inventory gave it both, with room to keep scaling as Operation Christmas Child keeps growing.
“Truly, these new scanners have improved our volunteer experience, and we are very thankful,” Tidwell said.
If you are interested in giving to Operation Christmas Child, visit the donation page on the Samaritan’s Purse website.
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