BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Nonprofit Samaritan’s Purse has built 16 of 60 houses in a new neighborhood to Kentucky residents who were drastically affected by the Dec. 2021 tornado.

What You Need To Know

  • The houses were free of charge to the victims.

  • The houses were two, three or four bedroom, and were filled with furniture.

  • The residents have to stay at least five years in the house.

  • The houses are located in a new neighborhood called New Hope Acres, which is in Mayfield.

Samaritan’s Purse, an international Christian relief organization, has been tirelessly volunteering in Mayfield, Kentucky, by helping those who were affected by the tornado for years. 

The organization has helped over 700 families with cleaning up the leftover debris. However, they decided to stay for longer to help the victims regain everything they had lost.

They did this by constructing 16 new homes, and that’s not all. The homes have a lot of furniture in it.

“This is not just an empty home, it’s furnished with living room furniture, bedroom furniture, all the appliances,” vice president of North American Ministries Luther Harrison said.

The homes are in a new subdivision called “New Hope Acres.”

Latasha Hayes was one victim who lost everything. Hayes has several children, and was worried that they were not going to be able to sleep under the same roof again.

“When I got that call, to let me know that I got approved for this house. It was everything to me,” Hayes said.

While looking around her house, Hayes was crying tears of joy. And when opened her bathroom, she proudly exclaimed: “Oh, this is so beautiful. My own bathroom.”

Hayes then expressed her gratitude.

“My heart is just feeling so happy right now,” Hayes said. “Thank you to Samaritan’s Purse, anybody that had a hand who I may not know their name, from the Hayes’ family, thank you.”

The houses were given away for free and are completely furnished.

“They’re furnished, and it’s not furnished with stuff that’ll break after a week or two,” Samaritan’s Purse President and CEO Franklin Graham said. “Most of the chairs are La-Z-Boy chairs. I was sitting in them just a little while ago, sat in it for about an hour. I didn’t want to get up.”

The only thiLexington nonprofit aims to put young Latine people in touch with their rootsng is, is that the new homeowners need to stay for at least five years.

“They told me I would only have to stay here for five years, I said ‘No, I’ll stay here until the walls fall off,’” homeowner Megan Williams said.

But when Hayes was asked about if she formulate her emotions into five words, here is what she said.

“Five words? Beautiful, blessed, grateful, excited and overwhelming. That’s it,” Hayes said.

Samaritan’s Purse will continue to build houses until they reach 60 in the subdivision and give the remaining houses to those who were affected by the tornado.

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