O Bom Samaritano

What O Bom Samaritano does

O Bom Samaritano, also known as Desafio Jovem O Bom Samaritano, is a Brazilian faith-based nonprofit social support house founded in 1998 and headquartered in São José, Santa Catarina. The organization provides residential rehabilitation services free of charge to men and women recovering from drug addiction (primarily crack, cocaine, marijuana, and alcohol), people experiencing homelessness ("mendigos e andarilhos"), and others marginalized from society. It operates two chácaras (farm properties) — a 85-bed masculine chácara and a 16-bed feminine chácara — where residents receive shelter, meals, clothing, spiritual counseling, Bible study, prayer, and life-skills training. Pastor Moisés Martins serves as founder and director, supported by Presbítero Cristiano Sanford (a former trafficker and gang leader who entered the program in 2001) and a team of ~18 staff. Approximately 80% of current residents were living on the streets prior to admission, and entry cohorts have historically included beneficiaries from all Brazilian states and some from abroad.

The organization has no proprietary technology product. Its "platform" is a combination of physical residential infrastructure, a monthly Grande Vigília (large all-night prayer vigil) held on the first Saturday of each month, a live WebTV/YouTube broadcast of the vigil, a weekday radio program on Rádio Marumbi, a daily dawn program on Sistema Gideões de Comunicação, and social media presence on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. A vocational training partnership with Senac extends service delivery into reintegration courses such as Telemarketing and Graphics. An online testimonial library of 151+ pages functions as both proof-of-impact content and donor-acquisition material.

The business model is purely donation-funded. All services are provided free of charge ("100% atendidos gratuitamente," "ninguém paga mensalidade"). The Mantenedor program recruits recurring monthly donors at three published tiers — R$30/month ("R$1/day"), R$50/month, and R$100/month — processed through the Asaas platform (boleto bancário and credit card), with additional contributions accepted via direct bank deposit at Banco do Brasil, Bradesco, and CAIXA. Revenue is supplemented by special offerings collected during the monthly Vigília events and one-off donations. The organization operates with no parent company, no institutional investment, and no disclosed financials; it is independently governed under Christian faith-based principles.

Name

O Bom Samaritano

Legal name

O Bom Samaritano

Website

https://obomsamaritano.com.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

O Bom Samaritano is a Brazilian faith-based nonprofit that provides free residential rehabilitation to men and women recovering from drug addiction and homelessness, operating two chácaras in São José (SC) housing 101 residents and supported entirely by voluntary donations and a monthly Vigília prayer community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Faith-based Substance Abuse Rehabilitation Services

NAICS

Residential Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities (62322), Temporary Shelters (624221)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Substance Use Recovery & Harm Reduction Support Services (BPAGAEAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB)

Keywords

• Substance abuse rehabilitation
• Faith-based recovery services
• Homeless shelter services
• Free social support
• Community reintegration program

Headquarters

HQ city

São José

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Voluntary Donations from Mantenedores: The organization operates entirely on voluntary donations from supporters ('mantenedores') who contribute monthly through various methods including boleto bancário, credit card via Asaas platform, and bank deposits. Donation tiers include R$30/month (R$1/day), R$50/month, and R$100/month. No fees are charged for any services; all rehabilitation services including shelter, food, clothing, and spiritual care are provided completely free of charge.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

O Bom Samaritano operates a free, faith-based residential drug addiction and homelessness rehabilitation program (Desafio Jovem) from two chácara properties in São José, Santa Catarina — one housing 85 men and the other 16 women. Services include shelter, food, clothing, Bible-based spiritual counseling, life-skills training, vocational courses, and family reintegration support. The organization extends its reach through a monthly live-streamed prayer vigil (Grande Vigília) on YouTube, a daily radio program, and active street outreach to homeless individuals.

Product overview

O Bom Samaritano is a faith-based social support institution operating under the Desafio Jovem model, providing free residential rehabilitation services to ex-drug addicts, homeless people, and marginalized individuals. The organization offers two main service channels: a live WebTV broadcast of monthly Vigília prayer events via YouTube, and a daily radio program (Monday-Friday, 1-2 PM). The rehabilitation program runs from two chácaras - one for 85 men and one for 16 women - supported entirely through voluntary donations via the Mantenedor program, with monthly contribution options of R$30, R$50, or R$100.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Desafio Jovem (Social Support and Rehabilitation Program) Free residential rehabilitation program for ex-drug addicts, homeless individuals, and other marginalized adults, delivered across two gender-segregated chácara properties (85 men + 16 women) in São José, Santa Catarina. Includes shelter, food, clothing, Bible-based spiritual counseling, life-skills training, vocational courses (via Senac), and family reintegration support.
• WebTV — Vigília ao Vivo (Live Vigil Broadcast) Live YouTube broadcast of the monthly Grande Vigília all-night prayer event for remote supporters, donors, and curious viewers worldwide.
• Programa de Rádio O Bom Samaritano Daily radio program featuring religious content, transformation testimonies, and outreach messaging, airing weekdays from 1PM to 2PM on Rádio Marumbí.
• Mantenedor (Supporter) Program Monthly donation program allowing supporters to contribute R$30, R$50, or R$100 per month via Asaas (credit card or boleto), or to make custom recurring donations via WhatsApp and bank transfer to Banco do Brasil, Bradesco, or Caixa accounts.

Quantifiable outcome

• 85 men currently housed at masculine farm
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Rádio MarumbíminorOthersRadio station that broadcasts the Bom Samaritano program, reaching prison inmates and remote listeners. One recovered beneficiary (Cláudio Barbosa) heard the program while imprisoned and contacted the organization for help.
• Sistema Gideões de ComunicaçãominorOthersCommunication system through which mantenedor Manoel da Guia presents a program 'Madrugada com Deus' (Dawn with God) daily from 2AM to 6AM. Some organizational content is distributed through this network.
• Senac (National Commercial Apprenticeship Service)minorOthersVocational training partner that provides courses to recovered beneficiaries. Graduate Gilnei Chaves completed a Telemarketing course through this partnership and later an Graphics course.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• Associação Brasileira de Comunidades Terapêuticas (ABRACT): Industry association representing Brazilian therapeutic communities (faith-based and secular); relevant ecosystem body for benchmarking, regulatory engagement, and referral pathways.

Direct peers

• Fazenda da Esperança: Prominent Brazilian Catholic faith-based therapeutic community for drug/alcohol addiction recovery; operates multiple farm-based residences nationwide with similar free-of-charge, spiritual-plus-work model.
• Missão Belém: São Paulo-based Christian nonprofit running farm-based residential rehabilitation for drug addicts and homeless men/women, with spiritual and vocational reintegration components analogous to Bom Samaritano.
• Desafio Jovem Brasil: National Brazilian affiliate network under which O Bom Samaritano operates; runs parallel faith-based residential recovery chácaras in other states with the same Desafio Jovem model, free services, and donation funding.
• Centro de Recuperação Betel: Network of Christian residential recovery homes across Brazil offering free faith-based rehabilitation for men struggling with addiction and homelessness; same donation-driven funding model.

Broad incumbents

• Teen Challenge International: Global parent network of the Desafio Jovem movement; runs 1,300+ faith-based residential recovery centers in 100+ countries using the same discipleship-based curriculum adopted by O Bom Samaritano.

Emerging players

• Alcoólicos Anônimos do Brasil (AA): Brazilian chapter of the global 12-step fellowship for alcohol recovery; serves an overlapping addiction-recovery demographic through volunteer-led group meetings rather than residential treatment.
• Narcóticos Anônimos do Brasil (NA): Brazilian chapter of the global 12-step mutual-aid fellowship for drug addiction recovery; partial overlap in target population but operates peer-support meetings rather than residential care.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/obomsamaritano
• YouTubeyoutube.com/obomsamaritano
• Facebookfacebook.com/obomsamaritano
• Instagraminstagram.com/obomsamaritano
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/o-bom-samaritano

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about O Bom Samaritano