ROGERS, Ark. — Like many residents across Benton and Madison County, Jesse Gulledge and his wife are still picking up the pieces after tornado damage. He says in his 36 years of living in Arkansas, he’s never seen a storm like this one.
"It was the scariest thing I've ever been through," Gulledge said. "I just kept looking up at my ceiling, because I could visualize a tree just coming through my roof."
Luckily the house wasn’t hit, but many trees in the yard were uprooted. Unlike some who are capable of doing some heavy lifting, Gulledge must rely on help from others.
"I was fully amputated in 2006 and it makes things like cleaning up for me just very impossible," Gulledge explained.
That’s why Samaritan’s Purse came to help the Gulledges get their yard back to what it was.
"Sometimes there's no words to describe the joy and the blessing it is to come out and help folks in their time of need," says Leroy Wentz, Program Manager for Samaritan's Purse in Benton County.
The group spent the day sawing and clearing most of the debris in the yard.
Gulledge says he couldn’t be more grateful. "They're gonna make a big difference today. It looks better already."
Samaritan’s Purse says they’ve cleaned up over 300 homes since the storm hit and have about 300 more to go. Wentz adds that they need more volunteers.
"This is an opportunity for residents of Benton County to come out and help a neighbor in a time of need. All they need is a willing heart," Wentz said.
If you'd like to volunteer, you can visit www.spvolunteer.org, call 479-644-4425, or drop by New Hope Assembly of God at 2626 New Hope Rd, Rogers, Arkansas 72758.
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