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In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene—even before Hurricane Milton followed in its wake—nonprofit charitable organizations such as Samaritan’s Purse and Save Our Allies stepped up to help the storm’s victims.
The president of Samaritan’s Purse, Franklin Graham, told The Daily Signal in a telephone interview that one of the positive things he has seen is neighbor helping neighbor.
“If you’re going to sit in your house or your apartment waiting for the government to come—well, good luck. You’re going to be waiting a long time,” said Graham, the son of the legendary late evangelist the Rev. Billy Graham.
Meanwhile, Save Our Allies founder Sarah Verardo said Western North Carolina resembles a war zone in the wake of Helene.
“We are seeing incredible hearts of helping and service,” Verardo said. “And our volunteer team of mostly Special Operations veterans is in there, working right alongside our government and private partners to just be the somebody and be in there making a difference.”
The organization has saved lives, including that of an 11-day-old baby born prematurely, she said.
The veterans on Verardo’s team said the destruction they see in North Carolina resembles what they saw in Afghanistan.
Samaritan’s Purse, a Christian organization that provides spiritual and material aid to hurting people around the world, has deployed more than 9,000 volunteers to help families affected by the hurricane. The organization sent three water-filtration systems to hard-hit areas in Western North Carolina on Oct. 4.
(Samaritan’s Purse)
In a statement, Graham said the systems were originally intended to be used overseas, but now they are needed here in America.
“We are airlifting supplies, mudding out homes, removing trees, and doing so much more—all in Jesus’ name—and we’re thankful for everyone who is helping make it possible,” he said. “We want to remind each person that we help that God loves and cares for them and hasn’t forgotten them.”
The organization had delivered emergency relief supplies in more than 150 helicopter operations, Graham told The Daily Signal.
Meanwhile, Sean Lee, ground team commander of Save Our Allies, said people ask him every day where the Federal Emergency Management Agency is.
“It’s the community, the community of North Carolina, the community of helpers who are here on the ground making a difference every day to try to keep these people alive until there is a bigger response,” Lee said. “We hit communities every day that are just devastated. And I keep using that word, because I can’t find another word.”
FEMA allocated $650 million of this year’s budget to the funding of its Shelters and Services Program “to provide humanitarian services to noncitizen migrants following their release from the Department of Homeland Security.”
As of Monday, FEMA had spent more than $210 million on Hurricane Helene assistance.
TV personality Dr. Phil McGraw has partnered with Samaritan’s Purse and Michaels Stores, an arts and crafts retail chain, to provide supplies to hurricane victims.
In a video, McGraw said, that unlike FEMA, Samaritan’s Purse puts “verbs in their sentences” and “they’re out doing things” to help the victims of Hurricane Helene.
Graham said it’s a very worrisome thing that hundreds of people in North Carolina remain missing about 10 days after Helene dissipated.
“We can replace stuff and roads and things like that, but we can’t replace people,” Graham told The Daily Signal. “And, so, I’ve just asked people to pray for the families that have lost loved ones and those that are still missing.”
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