OUTER BANKS, N.C. – It was an eventful Labor Day weekend in the Outer Banks. There was a ferry accident involving a semi that damaged the dock cancelling the ferry for at least 24 hours or more. The ferry has been relocated and, hopefully, it will resume 24-hour service. I’m told that the ferry will now take 4.5 hours one way instead of 2 hours to get to Rodanthe. (more…)

STUMPY POINT, N.C. – Today we sent an advance team of staff members to check on residents in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. When we checked in with the Dare County Emergency Operations Center, they asked us to help a small community known as Stumpy Point.

When we arrived in the small community, we knew within minutes that this was a place Operation Blessing needed to be. The people felt like they were alone and when we met them you could tell that they were resilient people but very tired and overwhelmed. (more…)

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – A day after Hurricane Irene knocked down trees and flooded many areas of Hampton Roads, Operation Blessing crews were on the scene surveying damage and helping homeowners clean up debris. (more…)

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – Early this morning, Hurricane Irene made landfall in North Carolina, bringing rain and strong winds, and even spawning tornados. As Irene takes aim at the eastern seaboard all the way up to New York, we’re urging everyone in the path to stay safe. Jody Herrington-Gettys, Operation Blessing’s director of U.S. disaster relief, offers advice she has learned from years of experience responding to hurricanes. (more…)

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – Operation Blessing disaster relief teams are readying equipment and supplies as Hurricane Irene barrels its way toward the Eastern Seaboard.

Now staged in Virginia Beach, home of Operation Blessing headquarters, a complete team of disaster specialists are prepared to help our neighbors in their hour of need. (more…)

JOPLIN, Mo. – When “Mr. Charlie” lost his job, he had no idea that just a few months later a devastating tornado would nearly force him to lose his home as well. See how Operation Blessing along with partners like The Home Depot helped give him an unexpected home makeover. (more…)

Operation Blessing’s Japan Disaster Relief Manager, Don Thomson, shares his firsthand account of the relief efforts in Japan.

RIKUZENTAKADA, Japan – Though over four months have passed since the tsunami here, we found that there were still survivors who were in need of glasses. Otsuchi and Rikuzentakada, two completely devastated fishing towns on the rugged coast of Iwate Prefecture, were the sites for our most recent OBI eye clinics. (more…)

JOPLIN, Mo. – When Operation Blessing disaster relief teams arrived in Joplin, Mo. they found a swath of destruction through the heart of the community.

As the relief team began helping residents make repairs to their homes, they met a couple who really stood out–Larry and Sherie. (more…)

Operation Blessing’s Japan Disaster Relief Manager, Don Thomson, shares his firsthand account of the relief efforts in Japan.

SABUSAWA ISLAND, Japan – Fumio Doi, a gillnet fisherman from Sabusawa Island, lost his home and most of his fishing nets to the tsunami earlier this year. His fishing boat, the Sabusawa Maru, survived, as it was moored on the opposite side of the island. However, Doi and his family ended up living in the small hilltop evacuation center set up in a local school, with no means of income. (more…)

JOPLIN, Mo. – When John and Debbie’s house was hit by the Joplin tornado, it was one of only a few homes that were salvageable—yet without insurance, the couple had no idea how they would rebuild. Operation Blessing told them they would put a new roof on their house, but instead, surprised them with an Extreme Blessing home makeover thanks to help from The Home Depot and NASCAR driver Joey Logano.

MOTOYOSHI, Japan – For coastal fishing communities in Japan devastated by the tsunami, replacing their boats is a crucial step toward getting back to work—and eventually rebuilding their lives.

Because of the long waiting list for purchasing new boats in Japan, it can take months to get a fishing vessel. (more…)

JOPLIN, Mo. – See how Joey Logano, driver of the No. 20 Home Depot Toyota in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, partnered with Operation Blessing and the Home Depot to give one deserving family the surprise of a lifetime.

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