GEORGIA – As a member of the disaster relief team, the gift-giving season is always upon us. We were in Atlanta during the flooding, in a community helping to see if we could help families or offer our assistance in any way. There was a gentleman, Mr. Willie Hunt, who was walking up the street just in despair. (more…)

NORTH CAROLINA – A couple of days ago I heard on the radio that more hugs are delivered during the Christmas season then any other time of the year and I thought to myself, what message does a hug say? Verbally it may say nothing, however, when there’s an embrace and when there’s an outreach to others, it gives the message of great value. (more…)

NORTH CAROLINA – Alicia is only four years old, but she already knows what it means to do without.

Her mother, Wendy, moved their small family to North Carolina to help care for her mother, who was undergoing cancer treatments. (more…)

CHESAPEAKE, Va. – It’s 4:30 a.m. when Leroy’s alarm goes off, and he soon sets out to collect donations for the 13 senior citizen homes where he distributes food.

For the last 20 years, Leroy has faithfully been serving the less fortunate in his community—one might think that it was his full time job. But he just laughed when I posed that question to him. (more…)

By Jenn Wakefield

STUMPY POINT, N.C. – When most people think of the Outer Banks, they think of vacation. Some think of amazing seafood, and others think of their second home for the summer. When I think of out The Outer Banks, I think of two weeks that changed my life and a small fishing village called Stumpy Point.

After Hurricane Irene struck North Carolina, I was honored to work with Operation Blessing in their disaster relief efforts. Operation Blessing is an international nonprofit organization that is based out of Virginia Beach where I live. (more…)

HATTERAS ISLAND – Today was a bit eerie as I awoke on the island after a long night of high winds and thunderstorms. I walked to the sliding glass doors that overlook the sound and, to my surprise, the water was gone!

The water in the sound had been blown out by the high winds. The part that is eerie is that this is the exact thing described by every local resident who rode out the storm here. Their first sight was the water being sucked out of the sound. (more…)

HATTERAS ISLAND, N.C. – Today was the second day for our new group of volunteers and there was a lot of excitement in the air because yesterday they fell in love with the residents. (more…)

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…)