For a North Carolina Vietnam veteran, being home for the holidays holds a new meaning.
When Hurricane Helene hit North Carolina last year, Bob and Edwina Tatum watched everything they loved and owned, including their home of 46 years, swept away in floodwaters down the Toe River in the mountains of the western part of the state.
The Minneapolis, NC couple watched as their home was smashed under a bridge, and both of their horses drowned.
When Bob saw the pieces of their home in the water, his brokenhearted request to the world was: “Don’t forget about us.”
Yet nine months after the storm hit, the Tatums did not know where to turn for help. They said they had not received the help that they needed from their insurance company or FEMA.
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Their story caught the attention of Evangelist Franklin Graham, President and CEO of Samaritan’s Purse.
“I saw a news interview Bob had done, and he said they felt like they had been forgotten, as they had fallen through the cracks. They had given up hope. After paying insurance premiums for 30+ years with no claims, the damage wasn’t covered because they didn’t have flood insurance. I knew then that Samaritan’s Purse could help by building them a new home,” Graham wrote in a Facebook post.
The next day, Samaritan’s Purse showed up to help the family, the vet, and his wife.
And in five months’ time, volunteers from across the country worked to build a new three-bedroom home for the Tatums.
On December 1st, Graham, Samaritan’s Purse volunteers, Bob, and Edwina stood on the porch of the newly finished home and dedicated it to God.
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