Relief Convoys from North Carolina Help Tornado Victims Recover from Deadly Storms

Samaritan's Purse Disaster Relief Teams Reaching out to Survivors in Tennessee and Arkansas

BOONE, N.C., Feb. 7, 2008—Samaritan's Purse Disaster Relief Units and teams of volunteers are now working in Jackson, Tennessee and Atkins, Arkansas to provide aid and emergency shelter to survivors of the devastating tornadoes that that ripped through these states Tuesday evening.
 
Boone, N.C.-based international Christian relief organization Samaritan's Purse has deployed two convoys carrying heavy equipment and relief supplies. Each convoy includes a Samaritan's Purse Disaster Relief Unit to serve as a command center and tractor trailers filled with supplies such as plastic sheeting, construction equipment and building materials to help repair homes and remove debris.
 
"Our prayers are with all of those who lost loved ones, homes, and possessions in these storms," said Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan's Purse. "Our teams are there to show the love of Christ by helping residents take the first step in rebuilding their lives."
 
As part of the relief effort, Samaritan's Purse is organizing volunteer teams from churches, Christian organizations and other groups across the country. These crews will work with the organization's staff to provide emergency repairs and help people get back into their homes as quickly as possible.
 
Samaritan's Purse staff members are also continuing to assess the needs and coordinate with state and local officials in Tennessee and Arkansas to ensure the most effective response.

Samaritan's Purse is a non-profit, Christian organization that provides immediate, no-red-tape response to the physical and spiritual needs of individuals in crisis situations-especially in locations where few others are working. Samaritan's Purse has worked in more than 100 countries to provide aid to victims of war, disease, disaster, poverty, famine and persecution. 

Samaritan's Purse has been involved in domestic disaster responses since the 1980s. Last year, staff and volunteers responded to tornadoes in Americus, Georgia, and Greensburg, Kansas, as well as flooding in Minnesota and wildfires in California. On the Gulf Coast, Samaritan's Purse helped clean, repair, or replace homes for more than 12,000 families after the devastating hurricanes of 2005. The organization has four tractor-trailer units stocked with emergency supplies and tools, ready to roll whenever disaster strikes. Each of these units can function as a self-supporting operations center for volunteers and staff. The priority of Samaritan's Purse Disaster Relief is to help those who are unable to help themselves-the poor, elderly, disabled and uninsured.

To support the relief work of Samaritan's Purse Disaster Relief, call (800) 789-1525 or go to www.samaritan.org.

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