Franklin Graham & Samaritan's Purse Serving Christmas Eve Lunch to Kentucky Tornado Survivors
Franklin Graham and the Samaritan's Purse ministry will serve a traditional roast turkey and baked ham Christmas meal on Christmas Eve to the hurting community of Mayfield, Kentucky.
Graham will also share a message of encouragement to those in attendance, and he will be joined by Bluegrass and Country music legend Ricky Skaggs, a native of Cordell, KY, who is returning to his home state to encourage residents and spread some Christmas spirit.
"Everyone is welcome to come. We want the people of this hard-hit region to know that we love them and God loves them," said Graham, president of Samaritan's Purse. "So many people are hurting and discouraged. They need hope, and Christmas is about the hope that is offered to all of us through the birth of God's Son Jesus Christ."
Samaritan's Purse has already sent dozens of staff and three cooking trailers to Mayfield to prepare the free, hot meal.
The lunch will be served from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm, Friday, Dec. 24 at the Graves County High School, located at 1220 Eagles Way in Mayfield.
To date, Samaritan's Purse has mobilized more than 1,400 volunteers to respond to the disaster. These teams have helped more than 240 families in Kentucky and northeast Arkansas salvage personal belongings, clean up downed trees, and put tarps on damaged roofs.
As CBN News reported, former Vice President Mike Pence and his wife Karen were in Mayfield, Kentucky on Saturday to serve with the Samaritan's Purse teams.
"We just wanted to come down and say thank you," the former vice president told volunteers. "Thanks for putting hands and feet to your faith. When we saw this, it broke our hearts. We knew immediately that Samaritan's Purse would be here. It is very moving for us to see you put your faith into action."
He continued, "Thank you for serving. It is, even more, moving for me to think that you're doing this during Christmas week. Your work here with volunteers from across the country is a testimony to your compassion."
Samaritan's Purse is currently working at sites in Mayfield, Bowling Green, and Dawson Springs, Kentucky. Teams are also helping residents recover in Monette, Trumann, and Leachville, Arkansas.
Dozens of crisis-trained chaplains from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association's Rapid Response Team are also working alongside Samaritan's Purse teams to provide emotional support and share the love of Jesus Christ with families impacted by the severe storms.
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. The Christian charity organization works in more than 100 countries to provide aid to victims of war, disease, disaster, poverty, famine, and persecution.
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