Samaritan’s Purse helping some Selma tornado victims recover

From the West Alabama Newsroom–

A Selma senior citizen has a new home — and a new lease on life — thanks to the help of an organized group of good Samaritans.

Smiles and laughter filled the day — as tornado victim Lula Banks got a first-look  at her new home.

“I feel good, really good. And blessed,” said Banks.

Banks had already been in the hospital for a week — when the January 12th tornado tore up a third of the city. When she was released from the hospital two days later — she found out from her son that she didn’t have a home — to go back to. The tornado had ripped the roof off of her house — blown out all of the windows — and scattered her belongings.

“I just cried when I got here, I just sat in the car and cried,” she said.

Banks’ son later contacted Samaritan’s Purse — who just stepped in — and went to work.

“We build homes to help people you know, get back into a comfortable area. But we’re doing this all in the name of Jesus Christ. It’s a ministry for us,” said Shawn Vollmering.

“We get to do this because we have such good donors that believe in what Samaritan’s Purse is doing.”

And what it’s doing — in addition to building and repairing homes –is building relationships and repairing lives. But most of all, it’s giving people hope in their time of need.

“I just never thought that somebody would do such a thing. And knowing somebody has done that much, you really don’t have the words,” Banks said.

Samaritan’s Purse has been in the Selma community helping homeowners recover from the tornado — since January.