GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (June 26, 2008) - The finalists for the 2008 Samaritan Award, created to honor "grassroots" nonprofit organizations, were announced by the Acton Institute. After scoring was completed by a team of social science experts at Calvin College, Grand Rapids, the top 10 applicants will now go on to compete for the $10,000 Grand Prize to be announced in early August. All finalists will be visited by WORLD magazine journalists and profiled in a special issue on August 23. The finalists are:

• Citizens for Community Values, A Way Out Program, Memphis, Tenn.
• Fresno Rescue Mission, The Academy, Fresno, Calif.
• Guardian Angels Homes, Faith in Action, Grand Rapids, Mich.
• Lighthouse Ministries, One Stop Care, Lakeland, Fla.
• Panama City Rescue Mission, Pathways: Residential Recovery Program and Enterprise, Panama City, Fla.
• Promise of Hope, Inc., Recovery Program, Dudley, Ga.
• Redwood Gospel Mission, New Life Recovery, Santa Rosa, Calif.
• Restoration Ministries, Inc., Harvey House School of Ministry, Harvey, Ill.
• South Side Mission, South Side Mission External Ministries, Peoria, Ill.
• Union Mission Ministries, New Life Center Recovery Program, Virginia Beach, Va.

The Samaritan Award is given to a highly successful, privately funded charity whose work is direct, personal, and accountable. Its purpose is to encourage charities who, like the Good Samaritan, get intimately involved with individuals and work to bring about real change in the lives of those in need. For more information on the Samaritan Award, please visit www.samaritanguide.com.