DISASTER RELIEF
"Extreme Blessing" for a Family in Need
OKLAHOMA – When tornado sirens sounded in their community, Floyd didn’t take any chances. He scooped up his two young sons and headed to a nearby shelter. There, they waited in safety as the widest EF5 tornado in U.S. history swept through the area.
When they headed home, Floyd was relieved to find their house still in one piece. But just a few hours later came a torrential downpour that caused a nearby dam to break—Floyd woke to hear water rushing through his home. He pulled Austin, 7, and Fred, 4, out of bed and waded through deep waters to safety.
When the flooding receded, their home was left devastated. The three of them lived in one room, sharing a bed, while Floyd began gutting the damaged sheetrock. But rebuilding while caring for his two boys proved difficult.
When Operation Blessing heard about Floyd and his boys, teams were quick to offer help.
"I remember standing in his almost empty home talking to Floyd as he shared how he was struggling trying to accomplish this all on his own and how grateful he was that we were there," said Jody Gettys, OBI director of U.S. disaster relief.
Floyd and his sons were put up in a hotel, told that Operation Blessing would "try to put up some sheetrock" and asked to stay away from the home. Then, over the course of three weeks, Operation Blessing installed sheetrock, completed masonry work, installed siding and utterly transformed the house from the inside out—even completing it with furniture, family photos and a special swing set for the boys in the backyard.
When the young family returned home, they were greeted by cheering volunteers and presented with the surprise of a lifetime—an Operation Blessing "Extreme Blessing" home makeover.
"You could hear the boys literally inhale all of the air in the room and say, 'Daddy, this is so nice!'" Gettys said.
As the boys ran to inspect every room, Floyd could hardly take it all in. "I knew you were putting up some sheetrock in the den, but I didn’t have any idea it was going to be anything like this," he said.
"Fred’s so happy," Austin added. "So am I!"
In the wake of devastating tornadoes in Oklahoma, Operation Blessing has provided food and relief to victims—including serving more than 6,700 meals—coordinated more than 5,000 volunteers to assist residents with debris cleanup and removal, and are currently doing a first-ever home rebuild from the ground up for an elderly homeowner with no insurance who lost everything.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
You can help by making an online donation toward CBN’s Operation Blessing International’s disaster relief efforts. With your support, we can continue to provide emergency relief and recovery. Please make an online donation today.
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