Boone-based Samaritan's Purse is cranking up its Hurricane Helene rebuild program, rolling out work in 19 new locations across four states to reach families still without safe, livable housing. The organization says its volunteers and construction crews are keeping at the long-term recovery effort more than a year after the storm, zeroing in on replacement mobile homes, rebuilt houses and key infrastructure fixes.
According to a press release via PR Newswire, Samaritan's Purse has already finished 26 new homes, has about 30 more under construction, and has delivered more than 80 mobile homes while wrapping major repairs on over 100 houses. The release notes that more than 180 families have been approved for rebuilds and that crews have repaired or replaced more than 870 bridges, driveways and culverts.
Among the families now back under a solid roof are Treva Pruitt of Ashe County and her son Gregory, who moved into a new house built by the group. WRAL reported that Pruitt said she "kept telling Gregory, 'We get to go home today,'" on the day she picked up her keys, a moment Samaritan's Purse has held up as a snapshot of its push to return families to stable housing.
Where teams will work
Samaritan's Purse says it is now taking applications for rebuilds and other long-term recovery needs in 17 North Carolina counties, including Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Caldwell, Haywood, Jackson, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga and Yancey, along with six Tennessee counties and three Florida locations (Perry, St. Petersburg and Tampa), plus Valdosta, Georgia, according to the release via PR Newswire. The group says applicants can call 833-323-6651 for details and eligibility information.
Why the extra sites still matter
Local coverage and public officials have pointed out that federal aid and reimbursements have been slow to land in some mountain and rural communities, leaving household recovery uneven and dragged out. As state leaders have been pressing lawmakers to free up hundreds of millions for recovery, that funding lag helps explain why private rebuild efforts like this remain a crucial piece of the on-the-ground response.
How to apply and help
Samaritan's Purse says families in need of rebuilds or mobile-home replacement can call 833-323-6651 or visit Samaritan's Purse for eligibility guidelines and application details. Volunteers and donors looking to support ongoing recovery work can also find service opportunities and giving options on the organization's site, the release notes.
