Written by Tony Tighe and Tamara Elliott
A local charity has come forward to help those still struggling to clean up from the devastating June flood.
Samaritan’s Purse has started a two year project to help families rebuild their homes. They are focusing on people without enough insurance or financial resources to do it themselves.
“They’ve had their homes cleaned up, the mud’s gone, the water’s gone, but there are still a lot of people that are struggling to put their houses back together,” says Brent Davis, disaster response manager for Samaritan’s Purse.
Work includes relocating heating and electrical systems, and the organization has put out a call for volunteers to help.
“No special skills are required, we have great construction supervisors that will oversee the project on site,” Davis explains. “anybody from skilled trades right down to somebody who knows which end of the hammer to hold, we’re looking for.”
Flood victims say it’s nice to know they’re not being forgotten.
“I think that was the fear for me on day one, even on clean up,” says Leah Ramsay, whose Bowness home was damaged. “That was my immediate concern, and now even six months down the road absolutely, still being around is really critical to a lot of people who are still going through this daily.”
Help Samaritan’s Purse strengthen the impact of local churches in communities recovering in the aftermath of disasters. As caring Christians are trained and empowered to walk alongside individuals and families to find solutions to complex needs, God opens doors to share the Gospel.