West Virginia Executive Summer 2017 | Page 40

Neighbors Loving Neighbors Samaritan’s Purse The idea for Neighbors Loving Neighbors, now a designated 501(c)(3) organization, surfaced before the water started to rise in West Virginia. When Governor Jim Justice decided to offer free admission to The Greenbrier Classic in 2016, Neighbors Loving Neighbors was formed to collect canned goods donations in lieu of money. However, the organization took on a new and essential role after the flood. This nonprofit is focused on flood recovery, initially offering food, shelter and clothing to those in need and now rebuilding homes in the Greenbrier Valley. “Neighbors Loving Neighbors has provided building mate- rials, built new homes, repaired homes and purchased homes and mobile homes,” says Habibi Mamone, executive director of The Greenbrier Classic and president of Neighbors Loving Neighbors. “We have partnered with other organizations to build homes and stretch our donated dollars, and 100 percent of the money goes directly to help the flood survivors.” The organization has contributed to affected parks, restored a high school gym and assisted with the memorial wall in memory of those who lost their lives in White Sulphur Springs, which opened on the one-year anniversary of the flood. As recovery continues, Neighbors Loving Neighbors contin- ues, recently completing five of 10 planned homes in Richwood and working on four new homes in Clendenin. Samaritan’s Purse, an international relief organization based in North Carolina, deployed two disaster relief teams and tractor trailers stocked with tools and emergency supplies to West Virginia on June 27, 2016. The group also supplied a helicopter to help local authorities conduct a preliminary survey of damages and assist with search and rescue efforts in the days following the flood. The organization’s teams were based in Kanawha and Green- b