She peered through a busted window into the church basement and saw that floodwaters from Hurricane Helene had left a muddy mess. The Operation Christmas Child shoebox gift items that First Baptist Church of Damascus, Virginia, had collected during the year were now wet and filthy. Jaz, age 11, saw something that gave her hope—a…
New Home Brings Peace and Comfort to Elderly Couple
When Hurricane Helene ripped through western North Carolina, it brought down a massive tree that crashed through the roof of Hala Kahili’s home in Swannanoa. Relentless rain poured through the damaged ceiling, and mold quickly spread, making the home unlivable. When Hala learned that Samaritan’s Purse would provide her and her husband with a new…
Media
Hurricane Helene Response Press Kit
Press Releases Fact Sheets & Bios Photos B-roll Hurricane Helene Response Samaritan’s Purse continues to help families recover from Hurricane Helene across western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee in Jesus’ Name. Volunteer teams and staff are actively working to repair and replace hundreds of homes that were damaged or destroyed—providing safe, permanent housing solutions as…
Our Ministry
Bringing Help and Hope After Helene
Bringing Help and Hope After Helene “I've never experienced God's love like that.” Hurricane Helene turned the Cane River, usually about 40 feet wide, into a raging, swollen behemoth that swallowed houses, cars, utility poles, and huge chunks of land on both sides of its gluttonous path as it charged downstream. But when the storm swept through…
Crisis & Disaster Response
Water Filtration Systems Deployed to the Asheville Area
Samaritan’s Purse is once again expanding relief efforts in western North Carolina with the deployment of community water filtration systems to the town of Swannanoa and other hard-hit areas. Designed by a Samaritan’s Purse team of engineers, each water system can provide up to 50,000 liters of clean water daily—enough for 10,000 people. These units…
Crisis & Disaster Response
Finding Joy in Jesus After the Storm
Winds roared through Scott’s quiet neighborhood in the heart of Valdosta, Georgia, as Hurricane Helene pushed north past Florida and into the Peach State. In the dark night sky, the towering pines overhead crashed down onto his house, bursting through the ceiling as he and his wife, Terri, huddled in the bathroom. “If you look…
Crisis & Disaster Response
Gifting Vehicles to Hurricane Helene Survivors
“It’s all yours! Congratulations, sir!” James Roberts could hardly believe the words spoken to him by an employee of Hendrick Automotive Group. Thanks to Samaritan’s Purse partnership with the Charlotte auto dealer, a 2024 Toyota Tacoma crew cab 4 x 4 is now his. It was just three months ago that the Marshall, North Carolina,…
Crisis & Disaster Response
An Orange Wave of Help Arrives for Swannanoa
Steve struggled to keep his pickup truck driving straight on a road he couldn’t see. When the evacuation alert had sounded just minutes earlier, he had woken his 15-year-old son Aiden, and the pair had dashed out of their house. Now they were fighting to find safety as the flooding caused by Hurricane Helene swallowed…
Crisis & Disaster Response
Donald Trump Jr. and Senator Ted Budd See Samaritan’s Purse Relief Efforts
Samaritan’s Purse COO Edward Graham was joined by Donald Trump Jr. and U.S. Senator Ted Budd on Monday, Oct. 14, as they witnessed the devastation Hurricane Helene brought to North Carolina. They were flown by helicopter to Yancey County, which is included among the areas receiving emergency relief from Samaritan’s Purse. We continue to bring…
