Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders recently announced the launch of the faith-based 10:33 Initiative. The initiative gains its name from the story of the Good Samaritan in the Bible, specifically Luke 10:33, which describes the actions of the Samaritan after he comes upon a wounded Israelite on the road. “But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him,” the verse says. “The purpose of that story, and what we want to be the driver behind this initiative, is looking for a way to bring our state together to help our most vulnerable citizens and lift them up at a time when they can really use a little bit of help,” Governor Sanders told The Christian Post. Pulaski, Union, and Pope counties will participate in a 12-month pilot program.

The program works by connecting people in need through an online platform called HopeHub, provided by the program Restore Hope. The program connects people in need of such things as housing, job assistance and healthcare with community partners in order to fulfill the needs. Announcing the project, Sanders said it is meant to look at the individual as a whole rather than just solving single problems. “We do a pretty good job of putting a temporary Band-Aid on problems, but we need to be doing more to move Arkansans from crisis to career and to let them know that they are loved and that there is hope for a better future,” said Sanders.

The program will not require any additional tax revenue as it will rely on Restore Hope’s current funds, as well as charitable donations, and state and federal monies. The White House Faith Office praised the program, with Paula White, President Trump’s senior faith advisor, lauding the success of faith-based initiatives. “Every day, in my [adviser] position up in D.C. — you have to drive things by data — and data shows us that faith-based programs and people of faith have an almost 80-plus percent success rate,” she said, saying secular programs only have a 20% success rate.

Critics of the program are worried that it will take away funding from government safety net programs or that churches are not equipped to offer the sort of help and resources needed by the public. Sanders, however, has dismissed such criticisms, noting that many churches are already offering programs such as drug recovery. “The goal isn’t to cut any state program. It’s adding more to it by engaging more partners in the process,” she insisted. “And I think it is 100% not only the role, but also the biblical calling that Christians and the faith community should be stepping up to help people who need help. And in many cases, they’re already doing this.”