Samaritan’s Purse, “The Orange Army,” Prevails in the Pathway of Destruction
STORY BY SHERRIE NORRIS
Samaritan’s Purse, the international disaster relief agency headquartered in Boone, is known for its rapid response to storms and the devastation they leave behind. Since Helene passed through the organization’s hometown in late September— leaving a wide pathway of destruction practically in its back door—Samaritan’s Purse staff and volunteers have been hard at work helping to pick up the pieces.
The relief center at Alliance Bible Fellowship in Boone is just one of the agency’s six response sites that was immediately established to assist families in North Carolina and Florida who were devastated by the historic hurricane.
Sites in nearby Burnsville and Asheville were also quickly organized, as were those in Valdosta, GA., Perry, FL., and Tampa, FL. Operations were also set up a short time later in Charlotte County, FL., along with the other two Florida sites, serving those who were impacted by Hurricane Milton.
Shannon Daley, U.S. Disaster Relief Manager for Samaritan’s Purse, who has been leading the Boone-based response, spoke with us three weeks after Helene had left her mark in the North Carolina mountains.
Representing Samaritan’s Purse, thousands of staff and volunteers were mobilized at the sites, arriving in their signature orange T-shirts, and affectionately referred to as “the orange army.”
“I’ve been out on a lot of disaster relief missions all around the country, but this one (here) is one of the worst I have seen in a long time,” she said.
The situation has been unique, she admitted, as ministry employees and volunteers in the Boone area, especially, were among those personally affected by the hurricane, and/or had relatives with significant damage.
“It has been different, for sure,” Daley said. “Many of our staff members and their families were impacted—with power outages and flooded homes; they were dealing with their own disaster and recovery, while at the same time, trying to handle their work responsibilities and helping others in their community. Plus, roads leading into the headquarters were inaccessible, as well.”
And “deployment” as it was, took on a different feel, this time, too.
A familiar sight around the High Country and beyond in recent weeks as Samaritan’s Purse staff and volunteers pray with homeowners following Helene’s destruction.
Photo courtesy of Samaritan’s Purse.
It has been different, for sure. Many of our staff members and their families were impacted — with power outages and flooded homes; they were dealing with their own disaster and recovery, while at the same, trying to handle their work responsibilities and helping others in their community. Plus, roads leading into the headquarters were inaccessible, as well.
- SHANNON DALEY
“Samaritan’s Purse has eight disaster relief units—stocked with tools and equipment—ready to go at any time,” Daley shared, “six here in North Carolina and one in Texas.”
The units coming to Boone from North Wilkesboro, where they are maintained, were able to reach their destination much sooner, she added, which, along with local connections, enabled the ministry to be up and ready to help local storm victims almost immediately.”
Staff and volunteers went to work quickly in Watauga, Ashe, Avery, and Caldwell counties in North Carolina, and in Johnson County, Tennessee, helping to remove downed trees, tarping roofs, mudding out homes, clearing driveways, culverts, and offering encouragement and consolation, Daley shared.
In those early hours, Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan's Purse, said: “Our hearts break for all those who have been devastated by Hurricane Helene. People have lost their homes, roads are washed out, millions are without power, and some have even lost loved ones—so many of our neighbors are hurting. We're thankful that we can respond and help in Jesus’ name. Please pray for these families and for our teams that are working in some of the hardest hit areas across the Southeast.”
Unprecedented Assistance from Home-Base
The organization set up a field hospital unit in the parking lot of Watauga Medical Center in Boone to provide oxygen for patients who had lost power at home; another unit with 20 beds was deployed to Cannon Hospital in Linville. Chaplains with the Billy Graham Rapid Response
A field hospital unit was set up in the parking lot of Cannon Memorial Hospital in Linville. Photo courtesy of Samaritan’s Purse.
Samaritan’s Purse volunteers, affectionately known as “the orange army,” remove a huge fallen tree from a home in the Boone area following the devastating storm. Photo courtesy of Samaritan’s Purse.
Many stories were told about volunteers offerning incredible moral and spiritual support to those effected by the storm. Photo courtesy of Samaritan’s Purse.
Team were also deployed alongside Samaritan’s Purse to provide spiritual relief and comfort to people who were hurting.
On October 4, the agency reported that Samaritan’s Purse had deployed community water filtration systems farther west of the High Country to other hard-hit areas around the Asheville area. Designed by a Samaritan’s Purse team of engineers, each water system was able to provide up to 50,000 liters of clean water daily—enough for 10,000 people.
“These units served as resources to communities, like Swannanoa, where the water pipeline network was destroyed during Hurricane Helene. They will help fill the gap as Buncombe County works to restore essential services such as water.”
Franklin Graham had said the systems were designed for use overseas, “But now the need is in our own backyard.”
In the meantime, Samaritan’s Purse completed
This is unprecedented. It’s a testimony to what can be done when people work together. It’s nothing short of a miracle. We are thankful to God for bringing all of these people and groups together to help those who have been devastated by Helene.
- FRANKLIN GRAHAM
what its office described as “the largest civilian airlift operation in U.S. history,” flying 700,000 pounds of supplies—generators, fuel, all-terrain vehicles, firstaid supplies, food, water, Starlinks, heaters, winter clothing and more— to over 160 hard-hit communities in 17 counties, many of which had been cut off by the floodwaters, mudslides and washed-out roads.
Coordinated through the agency’s Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART), the mission included more than 350 emergency airlift operations made possible by the use of small aircraft from private businesses, individuals, and non-profits, to Black Hawks and Chinooks from the US Army and NC National Guard.
The flights were loaded and dispatched from the small airstrip located near the Samaritan’s Purse campus in Boone.
“This is unprecedented,” said Graham. “It’s a testimony to what can be done when people work together. It’s nothing short of a miracle. We are thankful to God for bringing all of these people and groups together to help those who have been devastated by Helene.”
The ministry’s Information Technology staff installed 83 Starlinks in remote locations to restore communication channels in western North Carolina.
Field hospital units were set up in front of Watauga Medical Center and Cannon Memorial Hospital to provide services for patients in need. Photos courtesy of Samaritan’s Purse.
The Numbers Speak
At the four week-mark following Helene’s appearance, Samaritan’s Purse had received 10,500-plus requests for assistance over its storm-damaged regions, of which more than 2,800 had been completed with the help of over 29,000 volunteers. And among those,192 known salvation decisions were made.
Daley noted that requests for assistance have come into the headquarters office on a daily basis since the storm hit—and continue to do so.
“Obviously, we can’t do it all, especially if it is unsafe for our volunteers,” she said. “But we take a look at each need, and if it’s within our realm, we will help. We’ve tried to stay on top of all the calls that we have coming in, and it might take time to work through all of the work orders we receive. But, if every caller
At the Boone location alone, the organization received more than 2,800 requests for assistance; 980-plus had been completed by over 13,900 volunteers. And 38 decisions for Christ had been made.
The relief center at Alliance Bible Fellowship in Boone was one of the agency’s six response sites immediately established to assist families. Photo courtesy of Samaritan’s Purse.
Avery County Communities Among Those Feeling the Love
Reo Griffith, former Avery County Commissioner, and his family, along with numerous friends and neighbors in the devastated Minneapolis community, were among the many local recipients of Samaritan’s Purse assistance following Helene’s visit.
Griffith shared with High Country Magazine that six feet of water came into the basement of his family home, “ruining everything,” he said, “our washer and dryer; the oil furnace that controlled our central heat, family keepsakes—all destroyed.”
The Griffiths sought refuge in their nearby church fellowship hall during the storm, but when they returned home to see the damage, their hearts were broken, and they were at a loss for words.
“But all my family was alive, and I knew we had made it through better than a lot of other people around us who lost everything.”
Griffith has lived in the same house for his entire life, surrounded by Big Horse Creek, which usually flows quietly toward the Toe River. “My grandparents built it in 1941, and I’ve never heard tell or seen anything even come close to what just happened,” he said. “We’ve never had water in our yard before, and this time, it broke over in two different places surrounding our home—part of the four feet of water flowing down Hwy. 19E.”
Of all the items destroyed in the flood, Griffith said
losing their Christmas decorations bothered his family most of all.
“Christmas is just around the corner, and it’s always a big event for us,” he said. “We always love to decorate and bring out our handmade decorations and a lot of sentimental things the kids have made through the years.”
But in the midst of their heartbreak, Samaritan’s Purse gave the Griffith family hope.
“We had a big group of outstanding young volunteers from that organization who came to help us and many others here in Minneapolis,” Griffith said. “We figured it would take days, but in just a few hours, they had completely cleaned out the basement, loaded everything onto a tandem truck, gave us a nice Bible, and prayed with us before they left. We’ll be forever grateful for all they did for us.”
Like many victims left in Helene’s path, the Griffiths do not have a reliable heat source at this time but are hoping to have their system replaced before winter sets in. “We didn’t have flood insurance, so we’re looking at about $10,000 for the furnace alone, that we’ll have to come up with.”
Any contributions would be appreciated and may be mailed to R.B. Griffith, P.O. Box 79, Minneapolis, NC 28652. t
Volunteers represented Samaritan’s Purse well in the Avery County community of Minneapolis. Pictured here at the home of Robert “Reo” and Nancy Griffith, after cleaning out the basement flooded by six feet of water. Photos courtesy of Reo Griffith.
Photo courtesy of Samaritan’s Purse.
Mountain Grounds Coffee & Tea Co.
leaves their name and number, they will get a call back.”
“Samaritan’s Purse is thankful for every single volunteer that shows up to help following a disaster,” Daley said. “We always have a need for volunteers.” She added, “Those selfless, compassionate individuals do much more than physical labor. We hear multiple stories about how our volunteers have offered incredible moral and spiritual support,” she said. “We love that our volunteers are willing to invest time into the lives of those they are serving, reminding them not only that they love and care, but also that Jesus Christ does, too.”
In addition to the obvious comfort measures that Samaritan’s Purse has provided, Graham’s celebrity contacts have helped brighten the day on several occasions for storm survivors. Among those who have shown up to help ease the tension and offer support have included: Dr. Phil McGraw, Paula Deen, and South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, to name a few.
At what point will Samaritan’s Purse pull out of any of the affected areas, we asked? “We’re committed to being here as long as it takes to get the work done,” Daley responded. “We will be here until we’re no longer needed.”
Samaritan’s Purse volunteers have been hard at work helping to pick up the pieces left behind by Hurricane Helene. Photo courtesy of Samaritan’s Purse.
In the midst of the muck and mire, occasionally Samaritan’s Purse volunteers enjoy a reprieve, as was the case when celebrity chef Paula Deen arrived at one of their work projects in the area. Photo courtesy of Samaritan’s Purse.
We hear multiple stories about how our volunteers have offered incredible moral and spiritual support. We love that our volunteers are willing to invest time into the lives of those they are serving, reminding them that not only that they love and care, but also that Jesus Christ does, too.
- SHANNON DALEY
More About Samaritan’s Purse Disaster Relief
• Samaritan’s Purse works in more than 100 countries to provide aid to victims of war, disease, disaster, poverty, famine, and persecution.
• In addition to its international relief efforts, Samaritan's Purse mobilizes staff and equipment and enlists thousands of volunteers to provide emergency aid to victims of tornadoes, hurricanes, wildfires, floods, and other natural disasters in the United States. After an initial response, Samaritan’s Purse often stays behind to rebuild and restore houses for families in need.
• The Samaritan's Purse U.S. Disaster Relief team maintains a constant state of readiness—monitoring weather conditions and emerging natural threats around the nation to respond at a moment's notice to help victims of natural disasters.
• Samaritan's Purse maintains a fleet of disaster response vehicles, including eight disaster relief units, each of which also contains a small, built-in office space to serve as local command centers for Samaritan's Purse recovery efforts.
• Across the United States, over 40 Disaster Relief Vehicles, box trucks specially outfitted with tools and equipment, are stationed at partner churches and ready to provide support for Samaritan’s Purse disaster responses in their region.
• In disaster areas, Samaritan's Purse always partners with a local church, where it sets up a command center, mobilizes volunteers, and serves the community in need.
• Once on the ground, Samaritan's Purse assessment teams begin canvassing hard-hit neighborhoods and talking with people in need to let them know help is available.
• Disaster relief teams are made up of staff and volunteers. Many of the volunteers have received classroom and handson training, and they travel across the U.S. with Samaritan’s Purse to help homeowners impacted by natural disasters.
High Country Magazine would like to thank the communications department at Samaritan’s Purse for providing photos and up-to-date information as it became available for this article.
Donations to aid in the ongoing efforts of the ministry to bring hope and healing to those they serve are appreciated. Gifts may be made online or mailed to Samaritan’s Purse, POB 3000 Boone, NC 28607. For more information, visit SamaritansPurse.org. t
Franklin Graham’s celebrity contacts, such as Paula Dean, helped brighten the day on several occasions for storm survivors. Photo courtesy of Samaritan’s Purse.
Samaritan’s Purse volunteers offered incredible moral and spiritual support in a time of need. Photo courtesy of Samaritan’s Purse.
With the help of over 29,000 volunteers, Samaritan’s Purse was able to respond to thousands of requests for assistance. Photo courtesy of Samaritan’s Purse.