Samaritans Purse (Greensburg, KS)

Samaritans Purse is partnered with Billy Graham
Ministries and Lighthouse Worship Center that was
destroyed in Greensburg.

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As residents of the small town of Greensburg, Kansas,
return to their shattered community, Samaritan’s Purse
volunteers are hard at work helping them clear debris
and recover any salvageable possessions.

On the evening of May 4, the town of 1,500 was
ripped apart by a deadly tornado that carried
winds up to 205 miles per hour. It is estimated
that as much as 95 percent of Greensburg was
destroyed, including all of its churches.

Samaritan’s Purse was on the ground within 24 hours,
partnering with local churches and ministries to
establish a base of operations. Tractor-trailers
filled with tools, heavy equipment, and other relief
supplies were dispatched to the area, and we began
mobilizing our army of volunteers, who serve as the
backbone of all our disaster relief efforts.

As soon as the search and rescue work finished and the
town reopened, our staff and volunteers moved into
Greensburg to minister to the physical and spiritual
needs of this storm-ravaged farming community. We
visited with residents and set up two emergency field
offices to accept requests for assistance. One of the
first lots we cleared belonged to an elderly lady who
did not know where to turn for help in removing the
large trees strewn across her property. Our team
cleared the debris, and the woman is now letting the
city construct a makeshift hospital on the land.

We are also assisting an elderly couple who care for foster
children. Bob and Irma, both in their 70s, lost the home
they have lived in since the 1950s. They never bought
insurance because Bob always thought he would be strong
enough to rebuild the house himself. After this storm,
however, the couple and their foster children found
themselves homeless and unable to clear the land on
their own. Bob and Irma said they are very grateful that
Samaritan’s Purse is there to lend a hand to families like
theirs.

Along with physical aid, Samaritan’s Purse Disaster Relief
teams are working hand-in-hand with chaplains from the
Billy Graham Evangelistic Association’s Rapid Response
Team to bring the hope of Jesus Christ to the devastated
residents of Greensburg.

“The people of Greensburg need to know that God loves them
and that He is with them in the midst of this tragedy,” said
Franklin Graham, President of Samaritan’s Purse. “More than
anything else, these people need our prayers.”

Samaritan’s Purse is looking for volunteer teams who are
willing to serve in the Greensburg area for at least 3-10
days. Minimum age is 16. Please have your team organized
before you contact us. Your team is responsible for providing
your own transportation to and from Greensburg. Sleeping
quarters and meals will be provided. You will need to bring
your own cot or air mattress, sheets, towels, and personal
hygiene items.

To sign up your volunteer team to serve in Greensburg,
KS, go to the website and:

Download the Volunteer Questionnaire and save it
to your computer. This form is a fillable MS Word
document.

Carefully fill out each section of the questionnaire.
Incomplete questionnaires cannot be processed.

Send the completed questionnaire as an e-mail attachment
to: volunteerquestionnaire@samaritan.org.

Our staff will respond within 24 hours.

To support the ministry of Samaritan's Purse to disaster
victims in Greensburg and other devastated communities,
please select "North America Disaster Relief" on our
Donation page.