Samaritan’s Purse has completed more than 210 helicopter and fixed-wing airlift missions to deliver emergency relief supplies to some of the most isolated and hardest-hit areas of western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee in response to Hurricane Helene, with more airlifts going out every day.
From small helicopters to Black Hawks to Chinooks capable of carrying more than 15,000 pounds of cargo, Samaritan’s Purse is delivering generators, fuel, heaters, blankets, medical kits, food, water and Starlinks to communities that have been cut off by floodwaters, mudslides and washed-out roads. Numerous aircraft from private businesses, individuals, non-profit organizations, the North Carolina Army National Guard and the U.S. Army have been part of making this large-scale response possible.
“This is unprecedented,” said Franklin Graham, chairman of Samaritan’s Purse. “It’s a testimony to what can be done when people work together. It’s nothing short of a miracle, and we give God the glory. We are thankful to God for bringing all of these people and groups together to help those who have been devastated by Helene.”
The international Christian relief organization has loaded and dispatched these flights out of the small airstrip located near its headquarters in Boone, N.C. These airlifts have delivered supplies to dozens of churches and fire departments across 17 counties. In addition to air missions, Samaritan’s Purse also has deployed disaster-relief units — tractor-trailers stocked with tools and equipment — to Asheville, Boone and Burnsville, N.C.; Perry and Tampa, Fla.; and Valdosta, Ga. More than 13,000 volunteers have served more than 700 families in need by mudding out flooded homes, clearing debris, removing downed trees and tarping damaged roofs.
Samaritan’s Purse responds to the physical and spiritual needs of individuals in crisis situations, especially in locations where few others are working. Led by President and CEO Franklin Graham, Samaritan’s Purse works in more than 100 countries to provide aid to victims of war, disease, disaster, poverty, famine and persecution. For more information, visit www.SamaritansPurse.org.
–Alan Goforth | Metro Voice