SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA — Samaritan’s Purse volunteers are in Southeast Louisiana tarping roofs, removing debris, and cutting downed trees for homeowners who were impacted by Hurricane Ida. But more volunteers are urgently needed to come alongside these hurting residents and let them know that God has not forgotten them.

Debbie Anderson, Homeowner:

This down here is home to me. You know, I know it sounds crazy about with all the hurricanes, you know, and everything like that. It was down here where I lost my oldest son. And all my grandsons, great-grandkids are here. So you know, this is home to me.

Herbert Fitch, Marshal, Terrebonne Parish:

It’s a closely-knit community, like I told you. Everybody knows somebody around the parish. No matter where you go, no matter who you talk to, they know somebody.

Getting really scared that I felt my house move. I got out, went to my neighbor’s house, stood outside his house, watched the storm come through, tear my house apart, tear my neighborhood apart. It hurts. It hurts inside.

Chandler Saylors, Samaritan’s Purse:

This community was hit by a very strong hurricane with over 150 mile-per-hour winds. The people have experienced not only heavy wind damage to their homes, but also a lot of flooding in the surrounding areas. Some homes took on as much as four to five feet. A lot of the roofs in the area are missing shingles or their entire roof altogether. People have trees down on their homes. They have a huge need for tarps to get their homes dried-in and safe and livable again.

Bradley Giroir, Homeowner:

A week or so before the storm even gets here, we’re all watching it in the Gulf of Mexico, trying to do our normal thing, go to work. My wife stays here with our six children; she homeschools. So we have a plan in place because we have a son who requires special medical needs. With the possibility of lost power, the medical attention he may require, we may not be able to get if we’re here.

Janet Adwell, Volunteer:

If your house has been affected, there’s just so much on you. But to know that he has health issues– and not just health issues, but health issues of a child– I can’t even imagine the amount of pressure that puts on you to try to figure out how to have a safe home for your family to be in.

Bradley Giroir:

Since his last chemotherapy, he gets a survivor pin– “cancer survivor.” But these are just some of the precious memories from when we were there. Our little town was just ravaged by Hurricane Ida, and here we are in the aftermath– trying to clean up from what’s been done.

Chandler Saylors:

Samaritan’s Purse is mobilizing volunteers to help homeowners that were affected by the hurricane– get their roofs tarped, their homes dried in– get out all that water damaged content and sheetrock, flooring– and also to help take care of some trees for them, so that they can begin the recovery process and the rebuilding process.

Janet Adwell:

On this one it says, “He who loves God will love his neighbor.” And that’s really what we’re doing because I love God. I love Bradley, but I don’t know Bradley. But I do want to serve him. I want to do the best I can for him because I love God. God loves him. So you find out a little bit about their story, and it makes it very personal, and you want to do everything you could possibly do. You don’t want to leave sticks and trash in their yard because anything you do is one less thing they have to deal with.

Chandler Saylors:

The community really needs prayer. Samaritan’s Purse is here. We have the tools, the equipment, the leadership. But we need willing hands and willing hearts to put those things to good use, and to serve those that have been so devastated by this hurricane.

Please continue to pray for residents along the Gulf Coast as they recover from Hurricane Ida and Tropical Storm Nicholas.

Samaritan’s Purse is a nondenominational evangelical Christian organization providing spiritual and physical aid to hurting people around the world. Since 1970, Samaritan’s Purse has helped meet the needs of people who are victims of war, poverty, natural disasters, disease, and famine with the purpose of sharing God’s love through His Son, Jesus Christ. The organization serves the Church worldwide to promote the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Samaritan’s Purse International Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) program is committed to meeting the critical needs of victims of war, poverty, famine, disease, and natural disaster. We stand ready to respond at a moment’s notice whenever and wherever disaster strikes. The DART specializes in providing water, food, shelter, and medical care while sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ.

CONTACT: Kaitlyn Lahm, news@samaritan.org

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