Communities devastated by tornadoes are in dire need of volunteers to help people attempt to put their lives back together, says the leader of one charitable organization.
The dangerous storm system that sparked a chain of deadly tornadoes over three days in the South has claimed the lives of 29 people from Oklahoma to Alabama, with more violent weather expected Tuesday.
Johnathan Blevins, disaster relief program manager for Samaritan's Purse, told J.D. Hayworth and Francesca Paige on "America's Forum" on Newsmax TV that the destruction is immense in Mayflower, Arkansas, where his operation is set up.
"The best way to help us is to come and volunteer," Blevins said Tuesday. "Our mission with Samaritan's Purse is to be the hands and feet of Christ. We're reaching out to help the physical needs of these people and to do it in Jesus' name.
"Our volunteers will go out, and they will do everything that we can to help the homeowners here clean up, to get life back to as normal as possible. If their home is still there, to make it where they can get back in it. If they have belongings scattered everywhere, we want to help them find as much as they can salvage."
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Blevins said there are some water and food issues in the area but indicated there are other organizations handling donations of nonperishable food and water.
"We're reaching out to the physical needs that they have," Blevins said, "the need to clean up the debris from the storm, find their belongings if they can, tarp their roofs if the house is still standing, and make it waterproof for when the next storm does come."
For more information on how to aid the Samaritan's Purse relief effort, Blevins said to visit the organization's
website.