HORTENSE, Ga. — Samaritan’s Purse, a charitable organization, is helping a Hortense woman, among other victims, clean up the site of her home that was reduced to ashes after the Highway 82 fire.
“I felt sorry for the other folks that were down there, but I had no idea it would travel that fast and get all the way over here” said Karen Marks.
At the site of her former home one could see a burned out toaster oven. Even a stove cooked within itself. It almost looks like an explosion went off. It’s one of the many devastating scenes here in Brantley County.
We know that wildfire victims lost their homes. We know they have to rebuild. But just how hard is that? Just how much does it cost?
“It cost money just the well over there is just 10,000, I have no idea the sewage how it then I gotta get a powerline run back through and the structure. Either I build it or I have to buy it. I have to buy a shed or something” marks explained.
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Luckily for Marks she was connected to her human angles, cloaked in white none-the-less. The charitable group Samaritan’s Purse. In the parable of the good Samaritan, it is written that a man was lying down on the ground struggling when a passerby was the only person to help him. Well, that’s what the group is trying to do for Marks
Some of their volunteers traveled from all over Florida and Georgia, just to help her sift through debris and salvage whatever tokens and mementos she could find.
“They’re so good! They’re kind, they pray with me say you know you can hear the sympathy that they have for my loss” said Marks.
Marks is just one of their stops. Samaritan’s Purse says it’s a non-denominational Christan organization that goes to areas of war, poverty, famine, and in this case natural disaster to the spiritual and physical needs of victims. Samaritans’ purse expects to be here though about the end of the month, attempting to help more people.
“It really touches my heart. They’re really awesome that they would do that you know. You know you feel all alone when you lose everything. It really touches my heart. It’s really awesome” said Marks.
The organization aims to be in Brantley County until at least the end of May.
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