A woman and her son are praising God for a place to call home again more than a year after Hurricane Helene.
Surrounded by friends and volunteers in orange shirts, Treva Pruitt and her son Gregory crossed the threshold of their brand-new home in Ashe County, given to them by Samaritan’s Purse. The moment marked a fresh start for the mother and son who had lost everything just over a year earlier.
Treva and her son were displaced from their home in the wake of Hurricane Helene.
In October 2024, as deadly Hurricane Helene tore through western North Carolina, Treva and Gregory huddled together in the living room of their mobile home of two decades. The narrow creek in the front yard began to overflow, seeping into the house and damaging the home’s foundation. They lived in the ruined house without power for eight days after the storm, and watched black mold creep up the walls.
“That hurricane almost ripped the roof off, and then it made the ceiling leak everywhere,” Treva said. “It was just not a healthy living environment.”
Without money to rebuild or help from the government, Treva had nearly given up hope. That’s when she received a phone call from Samaritan’s Purse and learned that she was eligible to receive a brand-new manufactured home at no cost.
This year, though, they are back home in a new house provided by Samaritan’s Purse.
After waiting for over a year, Treva finally felt hopeful again. In place of her once mold-infested mobile home stands a symbol of God’s faithfulness—a place to call home again.
“I just couldn’t believe it. I felt unworthy in a way, but I knew we had to have a decent home and couldn’t keep living in the old trailer because it was unhealthy with the black mold,” she said. “But thank God we got a brand-new home.”
As Treva explored the new space, she was especially excited for the wraparound ramp leading to her back door. Gregory, who often has difficulty balancing due to autism and fragile X syndrome, is now able to easily access the door without having to walk up a flight of stairs.
“He’s so excited, he can’t be still. He is just going from one room to the other. And I think he loves the outside and the new ramp,” Treva said.
We installed a ramp to the house to give Gregory easier access.
She also marveled at the amenities in the home, including the storm door and a brand-new dishwasher – the first she has ever owned.
“Samaritan’s Purse is using Matthew 5:41, where it says if your brother asks you to go a mile, go two,” said Doug Morgan, the home construction foreman. “So, they’re going above and beyond standard. This is the way I’d want somebody to do my house.”
We Get to Go Home Today
At the dedication ceremony, Treva was presented with the keys to her new home, as well as a framed itemized bill with the red words “PAID IN FULL” spread across it, representing the free gift of salvation Jesus Christ offered through the cross. The Pruitts were also given a Billy Graham Training Center Bible with the volunteers’ signatures on the inside cover.
The back of the Bible lists the 50 most frequently asked questions of Billy Graham, along with his answers.
“We hope that you and Gregory will use this every day of your life and just spend time with the Lord and let Him pour His love into you,” said Samaritan’s Purse Case Worker April VanLeeve.
Treva credits God for the blessing of a home that is fully furnished and ready for move-in.
“I kept telling Gregory, ‘We get to go home today,’” Treva said. “I’m just so excited and so happy. The Lord has been really good to us, and I feel like He always provides what you need.”
Treva and her son were excited to enter their new home for the first time.
To conclude the event, Doug asked each attendee to lay their hands on the house, dedicating it to the Lord in prayer.
“We ask that You anoint this home for the safety, the provision, and the health of these folks that are going to live here,” he prayed, “And may it always be a home that portrays the love and the dedication that Jesus Christ showed in His sacrifice for our salvation. May it always be used for that purpose.”
Please continue to join us in praying for families who are still recovering from Hurricane Helene over a year later.
Friends, family, and Samaritan’s Purse staff and volunteers joined in prayer over the new home.
