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…)

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…)

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…)

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…)

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.

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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JOPLIN, Mo. – Yesterday while visiting our various projects in Joplin, I kept thinking that something was different, but I couldn’t put my finger on it until late in the day. It was the trees! Trees that looked dead a few weeks ago were sprouting leaves. The struggle of the trees seemed a perfect metaphor for the struggle of the people. (more…)

JOPLIN, Mo. – “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass…it’s about learning to dance in the rain.” The quote appears on an elegant plaque in John and Debbie’s home, but it’s more than just a saying—it’s something that defines the way they live. (more…)

JOPLIN, Mo. – Ron and his wife, Norma, live in Joplin, Mo. where their home sustained considerable damage in the recent tornado that ripped through the city, killing 132 people and leaving countless families without homes. The insurance company told Ron and Norma that they would take care of all the roof damage and structural damage to their home, but the insurance would not pay to repair the damage to Ron’s wheelchair ramp. (more…)

JOPLIN, Mo.— When I asked Randy, a 51-year-old Joplin resident, how he would move on after the tornado, he simply answered, “You’ve just got to live it every day, and the next day will be better than the day before and it will get better.” This is true both physically and emotionally. Each day in Joplin, progress is being made in the cleanup process as compassionate volunteers swarm the streets and lend their hands and hearts to the survivors of this terrible tornado. (more…)

JOPLIN, Mo.—I made it to Joplin around 7:30 p.m. Our disaster relief team was still in meetings, so I asked for directions to the area that had received a lot of damage. The sun was fading, curfew was about to start, but I wanted to see firsthand and feel the impact of what had happened. (more…)

JOPLIN, Mo.—Today as we arrived in Joplin, I saw an image in the midst of horrible devastation that deeply touched my heart. There was a church that was completely destroyed, but the cross steeple remained. It reminded me that when everything else crumbles, faith still stands. (more…)