PRESS RELEASE: Operation Blessing International Now Coordinating Volunteer Cleanup Efforts In New Bern, NC

-Residents Whose Homes Damaged Can Request Free Volunteer Help-

New Bern, NC (September 20, 2018) –The Virginia Beach-based Operation Blessing International has deployed its U.S. Disaster Relief team to New Bern to assist residents with cleanup from Hurricane Florence. Starting today, New Bern residents whose homes were damaged in the storm can request free help (see details below). Operation Blessing is also now coordinating volunteer cleanup efforts and has put out a call for anyone wanting to help (see below for details).

RESIDENTS NEEDING HELP:

Residents are invited come in person to fill out a work request for FREE volunteer help at Without Limits Christian Center (102 Washington Post Rd, New Bern, NC) daily (except for Sundays) from 9:30AM – 4:30PM. All residents must fill out a work order form and sign a release form in person, allowing volunteer teams access to your property. Volunteers will not be able to do work without a form SIGNED BY THE HOMEOWNER. Priority is given based on need (elderly, sick, disabled, etc) and is based on volunteer availability. Volunteer services offered include general debris removal, help finding and sorting salvageable belongings, chainsaw work, debris removal and installing tarps on damaged roofs. For more information on how to apply for help: 757.793.1837.

VOLUNTEER INFO: WANT TO HELP?

Operation Blessing will be accepting volunteers daily, except for Sundays. Volunteers should meet at the Operation Blessing Mobile Command Center located at Without Limits Christian Center (102 Washington Post Rd, New Bern, NC). Orientation takes place two times: 8:30am and 1:00pm (best to arrive a little early). Day volunteers do not need to register in advance. Volunteers must be at least 18 years old, dress appropriately for work in the field (long pants and hard soled shoes or work boots) and also provide their own transportation to and from the work site. Starting Monday, housing will be available for out-of-town volunteers. All out-of-town volunteers must register in advance. For any questions about volunteering, either for the day or to register in advance for housing, please call OB’s national volunteer coordinator: 757.226.3407.

The Operation Blessing team arrived in North Carolina prior to Florence making landfall. Specializing in disaster relief and mass volunteer coordination, Operation Blessing’s convoy of equipment includes a mobile command center, a construction trailer loaded with tools and protective equipment, trucks full of volunteer equipment and supplies, a mobile kitchen capable of serving 1,000 hot meals each day, and a KOHLER power generator. Early next week, Operation Blessing expects to also deploy a new Kohler relief trailer for the first time, a 42-foot trailer offering seven showering stalls, a changing room, an equipment room with washer and dryer for clothing, sinks, faucets, charging outlets for mobile devices, and flat-panel televisions to keep workers up-to-date on news and other information regarding the disaster and ongoing relief efforts.

Operation Blessing is currently working with officials in multiple towns in North Carolina. So far this week, the organization has delivered 3 tractor-trailer truckloads of emergency relief supplies to New Bern, Fayetteville and Lumberton. Each truck contained 16 pallets of Home Depot flood kits, food and bottled water. More than 2,400 meals have also been distributed to residents and responders.

For more information on Operation Blessing International: www.ob.org.

ABOUT OPERATION BLESSING INTERNATIONAL:
Operation Blessing International (OBI) provides humanitarian services such as strategic disaster relief, medical aid, hunger relief, clean water and community development in 39 countries in the last year. Founded in 1978, Operation Blessing International has touched the lives of millions of people in more than 90 countries and every state.

# # #

CONTACT:

Chris Roslan

Roslan & Campion Public Relations

212-966-4600

Cell: 917-538-5629

chris@rc-pr.com

Miracles Within Hurricane Florence

John, Crystal, and their dog sit on the porch of their flooded home. Miracles surround their escape from Hurricane Florence.

NORTH CAROLINA, USA – The night Hurricane Florence hit their home in New Bern, North Carolina, quickly turned into a horrifying nightmare for John and Crystal, but their story is also full of miracles.

John and Crystal have been married for 30 years, and raised their four children in New Bern. They now live in a small home with their beloved little dog, Boxer. John previously worked with heavy machinery, but the job took a toll on his body. Now they survive on disability and a fixed income. Crystal also suffers a disability from being hit by a drunk driver.

They decided to ride out Hurricane Florence at home. But the storm hit hard. Crystal said, “Nothing at all have I ever seen like this in my whole life.”

The first miracle came in the form of their son leaving a big truck for them to drive in case of emergency. The second occurred when John decided he better move the truck to the highest spot in their yard. When the water started seeping into their home and covering their ankles, they realized they needed get out. After calling their son, they fought through waist deep water to the truck. Then they headed to a nearby store on higher ground.

Another miracle happened when Crystal accidentally hit the button to open the truck window. Being unfamiliar with the truck, she just left it open. Before long the rising water stalled the truck and started getting inside. John said, “The next thing I knew it was to my feet…then to my chest.” Within a minute, water filled the car to the dash, and it was only because of the already open window that they were they able to escape.

What happened next is a nightmare they’ll never forget. The disabled couple and their dog battled shoulder high water in the dark, trying desperately to reach the store, still about 1/8 of a mile away. Rain water stung their eyes, and high winds whipped at them. Crystal desperately tried to hold her elderly little dog over her head to keep him alive. She said, “It was just a miracle that I could do that because I can’t even do that normally.” At times they fell in the murky black water. They lost their shoes. At one point, an exhausted John stopped to lean on a tree and just kept yelling for Crystal to keep going.

Crystal felt like she was about to die and feared none of them would make it out alive. She cried, “Oh God, please give me the strength to do this.” Amazingly, their son arrived at the store about that time. He took several trips by foot helping his disabled parents and their dog to his Jeep on higher ground, and then sped them away.

John said, “He is a powerful God. He saved us.”

Despite all the miracles that fateful night, John and Crystal still have a long battle ahead of them. Three days later they returned to their home. Crystal said, “It looks like a bomb went off in New Bern.” Their home was full of mold and smelled like nasty river water. The furniture and clothes were soaked, and their floors had begun to buckle. Neither they nor their landlord had flood insurance. “I wish I could go to sleep and wake up and things would be like they were before all this happened,” Crystal said.

Although she knew that wasn’t possible, as they searched for help, they found even more miracles. They watched the community, along with complete strangers, rallying around them to provide relief. John said, “It’s amazing how people open their arms and hearts.” At Operation Blessing’s distribution center at Without Limits Christian Center, they received warm meals and hygiene items thanks to Operation Blessing supporters. They told Operation Blessing workers their story, and asked for help with their home.

Soon, an Operation Blessing team arrived at their house to help them remove the biggest items, and they will continue helping in coming days. The disabled couple could never have accomplished this on their own. Yet another miracle, all thanks to friends like you. But there’s still much to be done for the people of New Bern.

While they’re so grateful for the assistance they’re receiving, Crystal and John want you to know there are many more hurricane victims like them in North Carolina, including those who are older and disabled, who simply can’t help themselves. Crystal said, “Please, I’m praying that we’ll get the help,” and John added, “I hope that everyone who sees this will help volunteer…do what they can.”

Please visit our volunteer page or our disaster relief donation page to get involved and bring a brighter future to hurting people in North Carolina.

Thank You for Giving a Special School to Special Kids

SOMALILAND – On the northern edge of the Horn of Africa lies the small, independent region of Somalia called Somaliland and the Hargeisa School for Special Needs (HSSN). The school was established to provide desperately needed basic education to about 80 boys and girls with special needs, but the facilities were dilapidated and crumbling.

Special needs school before renovations.

Founded in 2002 by International Aid Services (IAS) with support from the European Union, the school was in desperate need of renovation after years of use pursuing their mission. All 80 kids and their teachers were crammed into just three tiny classrooms, as the rest of the campus had fallen into disrepair.

As a result, the children’s education began to suffer. The environment just wasn’t conducive to learning, creating a hard challenge for children with special educational needs. Some parents withdrew their children due to concerns over the deteriorating conditions.

The situation for these children had grown dire, but Operation Blessing partners like you are standing in the gap for them. In partnership with IAS, Operation Blessing provided for the complete renovation of the school.

During the school’s summer break, work commenced to transform the crumbling buildings into a bright and beautiful school. When the children returned, they found eight beautifully renovated classrooms with new desks, bookshelves, computers, chairs, tables, toys, and even wheelchairs for children in need. All provided by Operation Blessing and partner IAS.

Since the renovation, the school’s enrollment has risen to 145 students. Because of you, these precious special needs kids are getting the opportunity to learn in a safe, secure, and healthy environment!

Quick Response to Hurricane Florence

Last week, monster storm Hurricane Florence made impact along the U.S. East Coast. But thanks to your support, Operation Blessing’s U.S. Disaster Relief team stood ready to quickly respond to the desperate needs of hurricane victims.

As the storm made landfall on Friday, September 14th, Operation Blessing teams had already moved into action. Truckloads of relief supplies stood by in Emporia, Virginia, near interstates into North Carolina and the expected disaster zones. Included in their arsenal was a mobile command center, a dehumidifier truck, a mobile kitchen capable of making 1,000 meals per day, flood kits supplied by our faithful partner, The Home Depot, pallets of bottled water, food, hygiene supplies, and more.

Thankfully, the storm that had previously attained category 4 status hit land on Friday as a category 1 hurricane. Still, Hurricane Florence packed a powerful punch. It crept slowly inland dumping enormous amounts of rain and causing significant wind damage. Sadly, death tolls began to roll in—3, then 5, and continuing to mount.

As the path of the storm became clear, Operation Blessing’s convoy moved forward to Raleigh, North Carolina, and began reaching out to the State Emergency Operations Center, the National Guard, and the Christian Relief Cooperative. Saturday, as the situation continued to worsen with intense flooding inland, Operation Blessing sent out reconnaissance teams to determine the areas in the most desperate need and to search out local church partners.

On Sunday, Operation Blessing began its first relief distribution in New Bern, North Carolina. This area with many low-income individuals has suffered a hard hit from Hurricane Florence, and the impact could become worse throughout the week as nearby rivers rise. Without Limits Christian Center provided a distribution point and volunteers as OBI passed out hygiene kits, flood kits, water, food, and more to 135 hurting families. And this is just the beginning.

As of Monday morning, September 17th, the death toll stands at 18 and the flooding continues. Very soon, our second distribution center will be set up in Lumberton, North Carolina, in partnership with East Lumberton Baptist Church. Even more truckloads of supplies have been dispatched to the area from Operation Blessing warehouses as the severity of the situation continues to unfold.

In the coming days, we will continue serving victims in North Carolina with immediate aid during this period of crisis. And as time goes on, we plan to stay in the area, helping people recover their lives and their homes.

It is only because of you that we can offer this type of immediate and effective disaster relief to help the hurting.

UPDATE SEPTEMBER 26, 2018

We’ve now served over 17,000 hot meals, and have begun helping hurting residents recover their homes. The Kohler shower trailer is on site, and we’re accepting out of town volunteers. Visit http://www.ob.org/disaster-relief/volunteer/ to learn how you can get involved or go to https://www.ob.org/tag/hurricane-florence-relief/ to see all the latest stories of how you’ve made a difference for hurricane victims in need.

A Desperate Family Finds Hope

Daniel, Lakashah, and their children, seen here praying over dinner, were in desperate need due to a loss of income and medical bills, until they found Operation Blessing and Warehouse of Hope.

GEORGIA – Three-year-old Daniella faced two crises in her life. She suffers from a genetic disorder that has required medical procedures; this soon placed her family in a desperate financial trouble, and she was hungry.

Hunger Relief for Desperate Family in Crisis

Her parents, Daniel and Lakashah, moved to Georgia several years ago, at the time with three young girls, to help start a church. There, they faithfully serve the congregation as children’s pastors. Although Daniel works hard as a chemical batcher in a warehouse, starting at 5 AM each day, his position pays half of what he earned at his previous job, making it difficult for the family to make ends meet.

Meanwhile, as young Daniella’s condition became more apparent, she underwent several surgeries, leaving the family with mounting medical bills.

Worse, sometimes they simply didn’t have enough food to eat. Lakashah said, “There were times when I had to tell them, ‘You have to wait. We don’t have anything to eat.’” Daniel added, “Some people say they’re living paycheck to paycheck. Well, we weren’t even making it to the next paycheck.” The family was desperate for help.

You Sent Help to Hungry US Family

That is when Operation Blessing partners like you stepped in. Lakashah discovered Warehouse of Hope, a distribution partner for Operation Blessing’s Hunger Strike Force, supported by our faithful partners. And everything changed!

Warehouse of Hope receives supplies each month from OBI and meets the needs of over 500 families. For more than a decade Warehouse of Hope and Operation Blessing have worked together to provide for people like Daniella and her sisters. Joy overwhelmed Daniel the first time he saw the food that Lakashah had brought home.

Although Daniella still struggles with her health, over time, matters have improved for her family. They continue to believe God that one day she will be healed. The supplies they receive from Warehouse of Hope have helped fill their pantry and their stomachs.

Today Daniel and Lakasha have four girls and plenty of nutritious food for them all to eat. Daniel has also taken up woodworking to help supplement the family’s income and hopefully improve their financial situation in the future.

To Operation Blessing’s supporters, Daniel said, “With every single cent you’ve given, you’ve touched my life. I can’t put it into words, but I will say thank you, and I know that God is saying thank you, thank you, thank you!”

Sending Health and Hope to a World in Need

A young boy receives life-changing surgery on his eyes.

WORLDWIDE – Whether through community health workers, life-changing surgeries, health clinics, or partnerships that bring hope and medical care to those in need, your support of Operation Blessing is sending healing to the far ends of the earth.

Free Medical Care for Those in Need

In remote areas of countries like Kenya, Haiti, and Peru, community health workers trained by Operation Blessing serve as front line health promoters. These volunteers and OBI medical staff provide services like cervical cancer prevention, pregnancy classes, vital nutritional supplements for preschoolers, prenatal care, emergency medical treatment, and more. Our dedicated workers touch lives and administer healing.

You also bless the hurting through OBI’s Life-Changing Surgeries program. Cleft lips were repaired in Africa, eyes have been healed in Guatemala, and in Latin America precious children were saved through operations to repair holes in their hearts. These are just a few examples of how you help provide medical care to those who need it most.

Medical Partnerships Save Lives

Through partnerships with compassionate organizations like the Dina Foundation, MiracleFeet, Health City Cayman Islands, and Revive Team Nepal, OBI supporters spread hope around the globe.

In the village of Silautiya, Nepal, for example, the houses are made of mud, most residents have no toilets, the poverty rate remains high, and the closest medical outpost lies over 16 miles away. OBI, in partnership with Revive Team Nepal, brought free medical and dental care. Similar clinics are taking healing to places like Zanzibar, Honduras, and Guatemala, as well as disaster zones.

Thanks to your ongoing support of Operation Blessing, “the least of these” find hope, healing, and medical care. Thank you for your heart to bless those who hurt.

Educational Opportunities for Promising Haitian Students

Daphkaline points at the chalkboard. This promising student received a scholarship to continue her education.

HAITI – Since its founding in 2013 by OB Haiti, L’Ecole Nouvelle Lac Azuei (ENLA) has been dedicated to offering the highest standards of learning to the surrounding impoverished community. But the school only goes through sixth grade, and as the students graduated, they found it difficult to continue their educations. Public schools lack funding and private schools are expensive. The distance alone can hinder a child’s education.

Thanks to your support providing scholarships and housing, promising ENLA graduates are continuing their educations at the reputable Hermann Gmeiner Academy on the outskirts of Port-Au-Prince. These students now have a chance to receive diplomas and help break the cycle of poverty that has held their families captive!

SCHOLARSHIP SPOTLIGHT: DAPHKALINE

Daphkaline after successfully completing her first year of middle school. — Daphkaline today

Daphkaline comes from a large family living along the shores of Lake Azuei. Her father fishes for a living and her mother sells products at the local market to get by.

During her first year in the scholarship program, Daphkaline has achieved especially good grades, and she demonstrates exemplary behavior at her boarding house. She enjoys French and social studies, saying, “[Social studies] gives me a lot of general knowledge that I need to know in my life and about my country.”

When not in school, she loves to read, study, play with friends, and help her mother with laundry and cooking. She said, “I would like to continue my studies after middle school because I want to become a person who is useful to herself, her parents, and society.”

Project Lunchbox

VIRGINIA – For many children from low-income families across the United States, school meal programs provide an essential source of food throughout the school year. Outside of school, however, these food-insecure kids may be left without a reliable meal source. With parents often working multiple jobs and still coming up short, weekends and “vacations” can be hungry times for these kids.

That’s where Project Lunchbox steps in to help. This new pilot program from Operation Blessing’s Hunger Strike Force is designed to provide these at-risk children with meals on weekends and school breaks. At the William A. Hunton YMCA in Norfolk, Virginia, where Project Lunchbox was recently launched, children attending day camps in the summer received food Monday through Friday but many of the children were going hungry over the weekends. As part of Project Lunchbox, the kids were given groceries to take home at the end of the week.

Hunger Relief for U.S. School Children

Brenda Gibbs, Senior VP/COO of the Hunton YMCA, said, “We’ve periodically had programs where we’d feed them breakfast, or maybe we will feed them lunch on weekends, but we were unable to sustain those programs over time because of the expense. … We were trying to bridge that gap, and Operation Blessing is truly a blessing.”

With the success of the Project Lunchbox pilot program, Operation Blessing hopes to expand Project Lunchbox into communities across the country. With your support, we can make sure these children have food they need to grow healthy and strong!

Volcan De Fuego

An Operation Blessing medical director helps Fuego victims.

GUATEMALA – When Volcan de Fuego, one of Central America’s most active volcanoes, erupted without warning, clouds of gray ash billowed thousands of feet into the air and a deadly pyroclastic flow sped down the mountainside. Dozens were killed, hundreds more went missing, and thousands were left displaced from their homes.

Volcano Relief for Guatemalans

Thanks to your support, Operation Blessing’s Guatemala office immediately sprang into action to bring relief to the victims of this disaster. First, OB Guatemala staff began putting together emergency aid kits containing food and hygiene supplies. In partnership with the Guatemalan Army and the Asociación Nacional de Municipalidades (ANAM), these kits were soon distributed to residents who had been evacuated to shelters.

Operation Blessing also distributed more than 1,000 respirators to firefighters and over 30,000 facemasks to area residents. These respirators and facemasks helped filter out the harmful volcanic ash that continued to fall.

In addition, OBI teams used mobile kitchens to help provide hot meals to the firefighters and first responders who were tirelessly working to rescue survivors.

It’s only through your support that these disaster response operations were made possible!

From the Field

Aiding West Japan after Devastating Floods

JAPAN – Devastating flooding in West Japan has created one of the worst natural disasters that country has faced since the earthquake and tsunami of 2011. But the ongoing, faithful support of Operation Blessing partners empowered OB Japan to rush aid to hard hit areas.

Successive heavy downpours between June and mid-July, 2018, brought over 20 inches of rain to some areas of Japan, causing flooding and landslides throughout the western part of the country. At the latest count, over 200 are dead and 21 remain missing.

Another 8 million people faced evacuations, and thousands fled to shelters. Almost 300,000 households lost their water supply, and thousands lost electricity. Hard hit areas included Hiroshima, Kurashiki, and Sukumo City. Floods have left homes destroyed, roads damaged, and essentials like food and water in short supply.

With your support, Operation Blessing Japan quickly sprang to action. Initially, they rushed much needed aid like water bottles and tools for cleaning damaged homes to shelters in the affected areas. They also began reaching out to local churches and partner organizations to plan for long term recovery efforts.

Next, in cooperation with volunteers from local churches, they set to work cleaning homes and blessing disaster victims like the Tuzame family in Kurashiki. They removed mud from their floors, walls, and cabinets, and dried their house with fans. The family was excited and grateful for the help. OB Japan also helped a farmer, Mr. Ono, whose barn had been filled with agricultural chemicals during the flooding.

As they continued their recovery efforts, they met many overwhelmed homeowners who were dazed and confused about how to even begin the recovery process. In response, OB Japan offered consultation services to provide a roadmap to recovery for those still reeling from the disaster.

The residents of West Japan have a long rebuilding process ahead of them, but thanks to your generosity, Operation Blessing can continue to stand beside them, aiding them along the way.