Melissa’s heart swelled with sorrow—and gratitude—as Samaritan’s Purse volunteers handed her beaten down photos salvaged from the rubble. Her husband, Josh, held back tears behind his sunglasses. One picture showed her as a child, goofing around with her cousins at her uncle’s house. Another showed her at homecoming with her best friend. Some photos showed…
Crisis & Disaster Response
Helping Heartland Communities Recover After Deadly Tornadoes
Rhett Salisbury pushed with all his strength against the bedroom door to protect his family as an EF3 tornado slammed into Minden, Iowa. He and his wife, Faith, and their three young kids ran for cover as debris whipped violently through their home. “I held onto my kids for dear life—they were screaming and crying.…
Crisis & Disaster Response
Volunteers Working in Texas After Imelda’s Deluge
“We bought this house last July,” homeowner Kandace Higginbotham explained as she looked around at the water damage to her residence. “Just long enough to make two or three growth marks [for her children] on the wall. This was our first family home.” Kandace and her family were home together when the remnants of Tropical…
Crisis & Disaster Response
Samaritan’s Purse Deploys to Mississippi After Deadly Storms Spin Through the South
Samaritan’s Purse North American Ministries (NAM) is deploying to DeSoto County, Mississippi, where Governor Phil Bryant has declared a state of emergency after two tornadoes caused extensive damage on Saturday morning (Jan. 11). Billy Graham Rapid Response Team chaplains will be joining us on the ground for this response as well. The National Weather Service…
Crisis & Disaster Response
Mississippi Homeowner Recalls Terrifying Tornado, Gives Thanks for Volunteers
After a powerful EF2 tornado ripped off her home’s roof, Sue Williams was overjoyed to welcome an army of Samaritan’s Purse volunteers on her devastated Mississippi property. “It’s a gift from God. They are absolutely a Godsend,” she said. “I was standing out here in the yard this morning, and they offered to help when…
Media
Press Release Samaritan’s Purse Airlifts Supplies to Hawaii
Samaritan's Purse Airlifts Supplies to Hawaii International Christian Relief Organization Sends Tools, Equipment, and Other Items to Help Families Devastated by Wildfires BOONE, N.C., Aug. 15, 2023—Today, Samaritan's Purse airlifted 17 tons of emergency relief equipment, tools, and several volunteers to Hawaii on its DC-8 cargo plane in the wake of the deadly wildfires that…
Crisis & Disaster Response
Samaritan’s Purse Volunteers at Work in Storm-Torn Southeast
Samaritan’s Purse teams are on the ground in Selma, Alabama, and Griffin, Georgia, after a violent and deadly storm system swept across the Southeast on Thursday night, Jan. 12. Two Disaster Relief Units—tractor trailers stocked with equipment and supplies—are in position in the two locations. Volunteers started work in both Alabama and Georgia on Sunday,…
Residents Give Thanks as Volunteers Lend a Hand in Eastern Oregon
“The storm was just supposed to be rain for two days. It was not supposed to be a big deal,” shared homeowner Russ Clinkenbeard. “It was so surprising how fast it happened.” Some eight to ten inches of water burst into his home as he tended to his 2-year-old son while his wife was at…
Volunteers Eager to Serve After Pearl River Floods in Mississippi
Samaritan’s Purse is on the ground near Jackson, Mississippi, providing relief to families who are struggling after the Pearl River recently flooded. Volunteers from across the U.S. are helping families clear their property of debris, remove waterlogged drywall and insulation, and salvage any personal belongings that may have survived the floodwaters. Inspired to serve in…
Operation Christmas Child
Evangelism Is Her Passion
Deborah Warner serves as chaplain—as well as school nurse and music teacher for third and fourth graders—at Florida Christian School (FCS) in Miami. In addition to serving as the Operation Christmas Child project leader at her school, she also volunteers year-round as a prayer mobilization coordinator. As the 1,100 students of FCS packed 1,331 shoeboxes…
