Compassion Protestant Society: A Safe Place for Children in Crisis

First founded for the purpose of providing programs for Syrian refugee children, the Compassion Community Centers continue to provide a safe place for children to learn and to grow.

Operated by Compassion Protestant Society (CPS), the diaconal arm of the National Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon (NESSL), the Compassion Community Centers have long been providing programs each morning for Syrian refugee children. In the last year, in response to the rising need during the current regional crisis, the centers expanded their impact by launching a new afternoon program for Lebanese public-school students affected by conflict and educational disruption.

Both the morning and afternoon programs provide consistent nutrition, tailored academic support, and safe spaces for healing and growth for children. Even more, the centers provide a place for kids to experience love, care, and compassion.

The three Compassion Community Centers serve around 200 children in total. Each child comes with their own heartbreaking story, but the centers offer something else, too. Love and hope.

This is one of those stories:

“My name is Sham. I was seven years old, but felt like I had grown up too soon,” says one little girl whose childhood was interrupted by loss and responsibility. Her mother left Sham and her two sisters and never returned. As the oldest child, Sham became responsible for her sisters and the home. She recalls, “I used to wash the dishes while standing on a table because I was too short to reach the sink.”

While she gave thanks that her father never left the family, her days were often filled with tears, frustration, and exhaustion.

“I cried a lot…I got upset…I screamed.” What she longed for most was her mother’s reassurance: “I always wished my mother would be there to tell me: ‘Don’t be afraid, I’m here.’”

Sham (far right) and her family.

The turning point came when Sham and her siblings joined the Compassion Community Center. In the safety of the center, Sham discovered kindness and care.

“The teachers stood by us like our own family. They asked how we were feeling, listened to us, reassured us, and taught us how to express pain without hiding our emotions,” Sham reflects.

Thanks to this support, Sham grew stronger and more resilient.

“Honestly, the center has become like my second home. I feel happiness and safety there. And I tell myself: ‘It’s good that there are people who love us, care for us, and help us,” she said.

Her father is grateful too.

“My children were taken care of from education to care, everything they needed. Even their transportation is taken care of. I just feel joyful and thankful to all the teachers and to God. My kids are very happy. Their teachers are like a mother and a father to them. And for that I am extremely grateful,” he said.

Sham’s story isn’t unique. She’s one of many children in Syria and Lebanon who are facing hardship beyond their years. But her story is also one of the power of compassion to restore childhood and dignity. Her story shows how emotional support, encouragement, and love can transform pain into resilience.

At the Compassion Community Centers, children like Sham are not left alone with their burdens. They find a safe place, a listening ear, and the strength to dream again.

Providing spaces like that takes time and resources. And that’s where you come in.

THE OPPORTUNITY

Please pray for the work of Compassion Protestant Society, for the children they serve, and for Syria and Lebanon during this pivotal time.

The Outreach Foundation is seeking gifts of any size to support the mission and ministry of Compassion Protestant Society as they continue their regular operations, including the Compassion Community Centers, even during the ongoing humanitarian crisis.

You may make a gift by sending a check to the address below with the partner name CPS on the memo line or you can donate on the GIVE page of our website: www.theoutreachfoundation.org.