BOONE, N.C., July 21, 2018—In response to Thursday’s destructive tornadoes in central Iowa, international Christian relief organization Samaritan’s Purse has deployed disaster response specialists and a tractor–trailer full of relief supplies to Marshalltown, Bondurant and Pella—cities hardest hit by the storms. Teams are currently assessing how to best meet the physical and spiritual needs of affected families.
“Many families are devastated by the twisters that tore through their communities Thursday afternoon,” said Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan's Purse. “We are on the ground helping them recover from the storm. Please pray for these families as we share the love of Jesus Christ with them in their time of need.”
Samaritan’s Purse will mobilize volunteers from across the country to help families pick up the pieces and recover from the storm. Volunteers will clear debris, remove downed trees, tarp roofs and salvage homeowners’ personal belongings.
The Evangelical Free Church of Marshalltown, Iowa, will serve as the base of operations for staff and volunteers helping tornado victims recover.
INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES
- Todd Taylor, assistant manager of U.S. Disaster Relief for Samaritan's Purse, on the ground in Marshalltown, Iowa
- Randy Corn, program manager of U.S. Disaster Relief for Samaritan's Purse, on the ground in Marshalltown, Iowa
- Tim Haas, manager of U.S. Disaster Relief for Samaritan's Purse, coordinating the response
Chaplains from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association's Rapid Response Team will be working alongside Samaritan's Purse to provide emotional and spiritual encouragement.
For more information about how to help or volunteer with Samaritan's Purse, go to spvolunteer.org.
About Samaritan’s Purse
Samaritan’s Purse is an international Christian relief organization that has helped more than 40,000 families in 36 U.S. states following hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, fires and ice storms. Over the past year, disaster response teams helped more than 4,600 families in Texas and Florida recover from Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma, and aided tornado victims in Alabama, North Carolina and Connecticut.
