“The family’s basement wall had broken in from the force of water and silt,” Olinda said.
The cause? Torrential rainfall and melting snow in the spring of 2013, which caused rivers to overflow their banks and flood communities across southern Alberta.
That’s why-coordinated by the Southern Alberta Restoration Project, a special ministry of Samaritan’s Purse that saw dozens of homes repaired after the floods were long over-Olinda and a crew of volunteers helped repair the flood-damaged home. They built a frost wall around the basement to protect the house from cold, and repaired the back porch.
“We were thanked so many times each day by the homeowners,” Olinda said. “They couldn’t believe that people would do all this work for them!”
Along with practical help, the volunteers were also able to provide emotional support as the couple shared about the stress they had experienced as a result of the disaster.
“We sat with them and were able to pray with them,” Olinda said. “It was hard to leave when the week was done.”
Help Samaritan’s Purse strengthen the impact of local churches in communities recovering in the aftermath of disasters. As caring Christians are trained and empowered to walk alongside individuals and families to find solutions to complex needs, God opens doors to share the Gospel.