Samaritan's Purse Helps New Orleans Rebuild

Samaritan's Purse — an evangelical organization led by Franklin Graham — has purchased property from the state of Louisiana to rebuild homes in the hurricane damaged communities of New Orleans. The homes will be donated to needy families.

The state has begun transferring the properties it bought in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, with the first of thousands waiting to be redeveloped going to Samaritan's Purse. The ministry plans to rebuild five homes initially, and up to 50 eventually, in the Gentilly neighborhood, using donations and volunteer labor, project manager Richard Brown said. They took ownership of the first four last week and plan to close on the fifth this week.

The Times-Picayune of New Orleans reported that, after a ceremonial property closing outside Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans on Sunday, city councilwoman Cynthia Hedge-Morrell and officials with the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority and Louisiana Land Trust joined members of the church and Samaritan's Purse as they sang "Victory Is Mine."

Samaritan's Purse plans to provide the new or rebuilt houses mortgage-free, though families would still have to pay for such things as taxes and meet income and other eligibility requirements. Brown said that about 80 applications have already been turned in. [ChristianPost.com via FotF's Pastor's Weekly Briefing]