CHARLOTTE, NC — The Billy Graham Rapid Response Team (BG-RRT) is deploying to Barre, Vermont, an area that experienced catastrophic flooding this past week. Dozens of roads remain closed and thousands of homes and businesses have been badly damaged. This is the same storm system that impacted Highland Falls, New York, where BG-RRT chaplains are responding as well.

“What heartbreaking devastation we are seeing in Barre, Vermont,” said Josh Holland, international director of the BG-RRT. “No one is exempt from the storms of life and none of us wants to go through a storm. But we want to encourage and remind residents that when the storms of life come, Jesus is our anchor and strength. It’s through these difficulties that God can bring us closer to Him.”

The team of crisis-trained chaplains is working in conjunction with disaster relief organization Samaritan’s Purse to help meet the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of those impacted by the severe storms.

BG-RRT chaplains are now providing emotional and spiritual support in four locations. Besides Barre, Vermont, chaplains are bringing hope to those in Highland Falls, New York, Marked Tree, Arkansas, and Tulsa, Oklahoma, after severe storms swept through the area. They are also ministering to families who have been forced to flee their homes in war-torn Ukraine.

For more information on the ministry, including videos, photos, news articles and an interactive map of former and current deployments, visit the BG-RRT press kit or BillyGraham.org/RRT. Updates can also be found at Facebook.com/RRTChaplains.

About the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team

The Billy Graham Rapid Response Team was developed by Franklin Graham and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association following the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. It has since grown into an international network of chaplains in the U.S., U.K., Canada and Australia who are specifically trained to deal with crisis situations. They have deployed to more than 730 disaster sites across the globe, including shootings, floods, hurricanes, wildfires and tornadoes.

Media Opportunities:

• Interviews with:
  • Josh Holland, international director of the BG-RRT
  • Chaplain coordinators in Barre, Vermont
• For B-Roll, photos and media inquiries, please contact Christine Batchelder at cbatchelder@bgea.org, (704) 724-6851.

Media Contact: Christine Batchelder, cbatchelder@bgea.org

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