Rev. Franklin Graham delivers Kentucky flood survivors new homes for Christmas: ‘We can finally breathe’
Standing in the snow on an eastern Kentucky mountaintop Friday Rev Franklin Graham dedicated newly constructed homes in Jesus' name to families who lost everything in the region's catastrophic floods a moment survivors described as the first real breath of relief they've had in three years This is Franklin Graham he says in an particular video to Fox News Digital Terrible floods here a scant years ago just destroyed hundreds of homes Well in contemporary times we are dedicating houses that are finished and ready for people to move in The homes are part of the new Chestnut Ridge subdivision a -lot neighborhood built from scratch by Samaritan s Purse and an army of helpers We re grateful to God Graham continues We couldn t do this without the partners who provided land the finances the contributors These people are going to be in their homes for Christmas CHIP CARTER MARVELS AT BIPARTISANSHIP HE WITNESSED AT HABITAT FOR HUMANITY FATHER'S FUNERALFlood survivor Lora Honycutt described the moment she stepped into her new house in a raw unfiltered way captured on video When I walk in this house here the floors are not sinking Honeycutt stated wiping her eyes Even the smell is different I can t describe the feeling She added through tears these are happy tears these are happy tears Video clips indicated families urgent down as they crossed the threshold their first structurally sound home since the deadly floods destroyed entire communities three years ago For Paul Johnson the dedication was life-changing When the floods wiped out his home he lost the permanent address required to stay on his lung transplant list I was taken off the list when I moved into an RV After in the modern day I can get back on the transplant list Johnson revealed This home exceeds anything I expected It s beautiful I feel very lucky It s a great day SAMARITAN'S PURSE RACES TO HELP JAMAICA AFTER CATEGORY HURRICANE MELISSA DESTRUCTION 'NOT BEEN FORGOTTEN'The Chestnut Ridge homes have two three or four bedrooms with one notable exception A family with children has the only home in the new subdivision with five bedrooms after spending nights crammed into two campers since losing everything in the floods We were thankful to have a place to lay our heads the mother explained but it was aggravating we were all on top of each other Looking around her new five-bedroom home she couldn t hold back We re so dumbfounded I don t know what to do We can breathe A SEASON OF HOPE T T'S GIFT OF INDEPENDENCE AND DIGNITY FOR INJURED HEROESFormer U S Ambassador Kelly Craft and her husband Joe the CEO of coal mining company Alliance Supply Partners donated the land on which the new neighborhood was built Graham also praised employees at the Hazard Kentucky Lowe s several of whom volunteered on construction crews Samaritan s Purse has now constructed nearly homes across Kentucky from tornado-ravaged Mayfield to the devastated communities of the east Crews are also rebuilding in North Carolina which continues to reel from Hurricane Helene As snow fell across the mountaintop Graham prayed over families receiving their brand-new houses no longer haunted by the memories of 's floods We give God the glory and we praise Him and of program these people are going to be in their homes for Christmas Graham noted as he looked over the row of new homes
