CHARLOTTE, N.C., Sept. 13, 2020 – Crisis-trained chaplains from the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team (RRT) will arrive Sunday evening in Medford, Oregon, where they have deployed alongside Samaritan’s Purse to provide care to those impacted by wildfires.
The Almeda Fire, which is threatening the Medford area, has killed at least four people and destroyed more than 600 homes across 3,000 acres.
“We have seen how devastating these wildfires can be and the toll that they can take on those affected,” said Josh Holland, assistant director of the RRT. “Our crisis-trained chaplains are already en route and will be in Medford by the end of the day to listen to the stories of those who were impacted and to provide emotional and spiritual care to those who have lost property, homes and loved ones.”
As multiple wildfires burn across the western United States, the RRT has already deployed to the wildfires in Santa Cruz, California. Teams of chaplains are also serving at two locations in Iowa after the August derecho storm, and four locations in Louisiana after Hurricane Laura battered the coast as a Category 4 hurricane.
For more information on the ministry, including videos, photos, news articles and an interactive map of former and current deployments, visit BillyGraham.org/RRT. Updates can also be found at Facebook.com/RRTChaplains.
About the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team:
The Billy Graham Rapid Response Team was developed by Franklin Graham and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association following the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. It has since grown into an international network of chaplains in the U.S., U.K., Canada and Australia who are specifically trained to deal with crisis situations. They have deployed to more than 450 disaster sites across the globe, including shootings, floods, hurricanes, wildfires and tornadoes.
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