When a tornado, hurricane, flood or other disaster strikes, the first hours and days can leave families facing damaged homes, fallen trees and overwhelming cleanup work.

A team based right here in Loganville is now better prepared to respond.

Lisa and Mike Clotfelter lead the local Samaritan’s Purse disaster-relief effort operating through The Cross, a Loganville church located on Tig Knight Road. The couple recently received one of the organization’s specially equipped relief vehicles, giving local volunteers immediate access to the tools needed when they are called into a disaster area.

The truck is stocked with brand-new equipment, including several types of saws, wheelbarrows, leaf blowers, rakes, brooms, shovels and other cleanup tools. With the vehicle loaded and ready, the Loganville team can be deployed to assist following nearly any type of natural disaster.

For the Clotfelters, disaster response is not a new undertaking. Lisa and Mike have personally participated in more than 20 relief missions, traveling into devastated communities to serve homeowners during some of their most difficult days.

Their experience now gives Loganville a valuable local connection to a much larger national response network.

Samaritan’s Purse stations more than 60 Disaster Relief Vehicles at partner churches across the United States. Each box truck is outfitted with equipment that can be quickly deployed to support a response within its region. The vehicles allow trained volunteers to arrive prepared rather than spending valuable time locating or transporting tools after a disaster has already occurred.

Depending on the damage, volunteers may cut and remove fallen trees, clear yards, haul away debris, remove damaged drywall and flooring, place tarps on damaged roofs and help families recover personal belongings. Churches often serve as the local base of operations, providing space for volunteers, equipment and coordination with residents who need assistance.

That model makes The Cross an important part of the Loganville-based effort. The church provides a home for the vehicle and the local ministry led by the Clotfelters while helping keep volunteers, equipment and resources ready for the next call. The Cross is a nondenominational church located at 3275 Tig Knight Road in Loganville.

More Than a Disaster-Relief Organization

Many people recognize the Samaritan’s Purse name through Operation Christmas Child and its familiar shoebox gifts, but the organization’s work extends far beyond that program.

Samaritan’s Purse is an international Christian relief and evangelism organization that provides assistance to people affected by disasters, war, poverty, disease, famine and persecution. Its work in more than 100 countries includes emergency food, clean water, shelter, medical care and other critical assistance.

In the United States, its disaster-relief teams respond to hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, wildfires and other emergencies. Staff members assess the damage, establish operations through a local church and organize volunteers to help homeowners begin the long process of recovery.

The organization’s mission combines physical assistance with Christian ministry. Volunteers arrive not only to complete difficult cleanup work, but also to provide encouragement, prayer and the reassurance that affected families have not been forgotten.

Construction experience is useful during many responses, but Samaritan’s Purse says it is not required for every volunteer position. People with different abilities can serve by completing physical work, supporting operations or ministering to homeowners and families.

Ready Before the Call Comes

Disasters rarely provide much warning. That is why having trained leadership, organized volunteers and properly maintained equipment already in place is so important.

The newly obtained vehicle means the Loganville team will not have to begin from scratch when the next deployment comes. The saws, shovels, wheelbarrows and other tools are already together, loaded and prepared to travel wherever they are needed.

The truck also represents the experience Lisa and Mike Clotfelter have gained through more than 20 missions. They understand the physical demands of disaster cleanup, the importance of organization and the emotional toll a catastrophe can have on the people receiving help.

For Loganville, the vehicle is much more than a truck filled with equipment. It is a mobile collection of resources ready to turn local compassion into practical assistance.

When the next community is struck by disaster, Lisa and Mike Clotfelter and the Samaritan’s Purse team at The Cross are prepared to answer the call.