The 10 finalists for the Samaritan Award were announced last Thursday. This annual award was created by the Acton Institute to honor a highly successful, privately funded charity whose work is direct, personal, and accountable.

The finalists for 2008 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, Residential Recovery Program, 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 winner of the $10,000 grand prize will be announced in early August. All finalists will be visited by WORLD magazine journalists and profiled in a special issue on August 15. Congratulations to the 2008 finalists!