SAMARITAN'S PURSE DELIVERS FIRST MOBILE HOMES TO MISSISSIPPI TORNADO SURVIVORS

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May 16, 2023, 13:21 ET

Franklin Graham is coming to Amory to dedicate upgraded mobile homes that are being given to hard-hit families

BOONE, N.C., May 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Samaritan's Purse, an international Christian relief organization, is offering a mobile home replacement program for Mississippi families who lost everything in the March 24 tornado. The N.C.-based organization was on the ground in Mississippi less than 24 hours after the storm—helping homeowners begin to recover by salvaging personal belongings, clearing debris, tarping damaged roofs, and reminding families that God loves them and they are not forgotten.

On Friday, May 19, Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan's Purse, will dedicate these homes to the Lord and pray for the families who will be receiving them. Local installers will then be able to set up the mobile homes in the coming weeks. To date, 35 families have been approved for mobile home replacement and others are actively in the application process. They will be given to residents in Amory, Rolling Fork, and Silver City, Mississippi who did not have insurance or were under-insured and in desperate need of help.

"The devastation that these families experienced can take years to recover from, and we want to help them get back on their feet quickly," said Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan's Purse. "While we can't make these mobile homes storm proof, we are making them safer and more durable by adding stronger roofing and floor joists, tempered glass, thicker walls, and other enhancements. We pray that these new homes are a blessing to each family, and that they remind them that God loves them."

Each mobile home has been specially built to be more durable and last longer. They are rated to a Wind Zone III, which means they can endure wind speeds up to 110 miles per hour—the average mobile home is built for winds up to 70 miles per hour. Additional enhancements include fiberglass insulation, continuous vinyl flooring, more durable decking material, and 10 times the amount of tie-downs to stabilize the homes during severe weather.

What:	Franklin Graham Dedicates Mobile Homes

When:	Friday, May 19 at 11:00 a.m. CT

Where:	60082 Puckett Drive
	Amory, MS 38821

MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES:

Interview Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan's Purse
Interview Luther Harrison, vice president of North American Ministries for Samaritan's Purse
High-quality photos and broadcast quality b-roll of the tornado response

During the initial disaster response, 1,145 Samaritan's Purse volunteers served more than 400 families with cleanup and recovery in Mississippi.

Samaritan's Purse is also offering mobile home replacement programs in Tennessee and Arkansas, following tornadoes that struck one week after the deadly Mississippi storm.

Based in Boone, North Carolina, Samaritan's Purse responds to the physical and spiritual needs of individuals in crisis situations—especially in locations where few others are working. Led by President and CEO Franklin Graham, Samaritan's Purse works in more than 100 countries to provide aid to victims of war, disease, disaster, poverty, famine and persecution. For more information, visit SamaritansPurse.org.

SOURCE Samaritan's Purse