BURGESS, SC (WBTW) – The floodwaters from Hurricane Florence are long gone in Horry County, but the rebuilding process is just beginning for one international disaster relief organization and an Horry County church.
Samratian’s Purse International Disaster Relief will be coming to the area to rebuild homes flooded by Hurricane Florence in Socastee.
Around 20 volunteers will be living at Timberlake Baptist Church on Hwy 707 for up to two years.
“We had the facility and they heard about that, and just as importantly, if not more so, we have a lot of willing people here who will want to go out of their way to help others and help our community,” Senior Pastor at Timberlake Baptist, Rev. Franklyn Ward said.
Samaritan’s Purse approached the church about housing their volunteers long-term while they rebuild, and Ward says he couldn’t turn them down.
“This is why we exist, we exist to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ first and foremost, but beyond that, we need to do that in a very practical sense, we need to not just care for the spiritual person but also the physical person as well,” Ward said.
Samaritan’s Purse is unsure of when they will start working and exactly which homes they will rebuild.
They are currently distributing a list which flooded homeowners must fill out in order to apply for their help. Samaritan’s Purse must wait until they find a case worker to go through applications.
Once they decide on their first few homes to repair, volunteers will get to work. They will rebuild homes close to the Socastee area because they say staying nearby will help them to repair as many houses as possible.
To apply, either call Timberlake Baptist Church at (843) 650-9509, or visit in person. The church is located at 9850 SC-707, Myrtle Beach, SC 29588.