LUMBERTON — Surrounded by friends and supporters Thursday, the McArthur family, Divya, Terry and Christian, moved from the nightmare of disaster caused by two hurricanes into a dream home.
Operation Blessing and the Home Depot Foundation placed the family, whose home in South Lumberton was flooded twice by hurricanes, into a new home on East 11th Street.
There was plenty of help in the form of a team from Fort Bragg, who helped with landscaping, and friends from East Lumberton Baptist Church, who seemed to have a hand in everything on Thursday.
The McArthur family learned about their good fortune when it was announced in November by Jimmy Fallon on the “Tonight Show.” Divya McArthur wept so hard in front of a national audience she could not speak.
The handkerchief was out again on Thursday. Divya, who is a hair stylist and rarely at a loss for words, was near speechless again. After looking over her three-bedroom, two-bath house in one of Lumberton quaintest neighborhoods, she found words.
“Thank you,” she said. “If you are here, you are near and dear to our hearts.
“You all have played such an important role in our lives after two hurricanes. This has exceeded my expectations.”
Operations Blessing literally pulled back a curtain on the new house with more than 50 friends cheering in the front yard. Hugs, laughs, songs and more tears followed.
Beth Perrenoud, of Operation Blessing, and her daughter, Hailie, had been working on the house since they arrived in Lumberton on Sunday. Her story speaks volumes about how this day came about.
“We power-washed the driveway, painted the porch, furniture and mailbox, too,” Perrenoud said. “We met a neighbor who volunteered to cut the grass and edged everything.
“It was like an angel arrived. He’s not here because I guess he’s shy.”
This was not Perrenoud’s first trip to Lumberton. She was in the city after Hurricane Florence passed through.
“I helped with mucking out houses,” she said. “Operation Blessing stayed at the East Lumberton Baptist Church for several weeks.”
Pastor Mike Bowen, whom members of his congregation say is a real firebrand in the pulpit, explained the connection between his church and Operation Blessing, a nonprofit affiliated with the Christian Broadcasting Network and based in Virginia Beach, Va.
“Operation Blessing was living in our church for about eight weeks,” Bowen said. “They served two meals a day and handed out necessities to flood victims. Then, they worked on home repairs.”
Anthony Lloyd, Operation Blessing field director, said they served 120,000 people after Florence and 40,000 meals over a 40-day period.
It was Operation Blessing that found the twice-devastated McArthur family. At first, they planned to renovate their home on Front Street but decided to get them out of the flood plain.
“We found them a new house,” Lloyd said. “We brought in a contractor. We’ve been working on it.”
East Lumberton Baptists also had a hand in finding the house. Bowen had moved out of it for a new home just weeks before.
Home Depot Foundation and Operation Blessing provided new appliances, fixtures, deck furniture and plants for the yard. Members of Echo Company 127th Engineering Battalion installed plants and mulch.
“We’re all truck drivers,” said Sgt. 1st Class Manual Precie. “We’re Army, we do whatever is necessary. We heard they needed some help.”
The McArthurs are some of the fortunate ones because housing issues after two hurricanes present a huge challenge for Lumberton, said Mayor Bruce Davis, who was present for the home’s unveiling.
“This is another miracle for Lumberton, a gift brought by generous people,” Davis said. “This is a great thing for a good family.”
