VIDEO: Eight Days of Hope Expands Operation

TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI)- A Tupelo based ministry that’s helped disaster victims around the country is expanding its operation.

This portable shower facility is brand new as well as this mobile laundry mat that you don’t need quarters to operate. They’re part of an $800,000 purchase made by Eight Days of Hope as it announces becoming a national relief organization. Founder Steve Tybor said their decision to go help flood ravaged Houston has turned out to be a huge blessing.

“We there almost seven weeks,” said Tybor. “We were able to help out thousands of families. We gutted their house dried them, sprayed it for mold. We provided food for many people. We lent our equipment to other organizations like ours that didn’t have access to some of the things that God has entrusted us with, and while we were with Harvey the floodgates just opened up. It’s the Prayer of Jabez as our territory has become enlarged.”

Part of enlarging the territory includes construction of a $1.3 million facility next to Global Outreach International west of Tupelo.

In the wooded area, there will be the new headquarters of Eight Days of Hope. The 60-thousand square foot facility will house the equipment. It will provide space to train volunteers in rapid response and recovery and other leaders who will be prepared to take out teams whenever disaster strikes.

“Today we’re also announcing a distribution ministry where local churches can come to our distribution center and they can get building materials furnishings, appliances, rugs mattresses for free for people in their church and in their community when there is a special need,” said Tybor. “More on that coming down the road.”

After getting a chance to touch the equipment, everyone headed inside the sanctuary of Harrisburg Baptist Church for testimony from Houston residents helped by Eight Days of Hope.

Tybor said volunteers like Butch and Juliene Price have been instrumental to its success. They live in Northeast Ohio and are executive leaders for the ministry.

“We were looking to get involved,” said Butch Price, volunteer. “Our pastor at our church gave a sermon one day about serving and he asked the ones that are willing to do it to stand up and we did.”

“It was a spiritual call from God to get involved to say yes,” said Juliene Price, volunteer. “Yes, our first yes Lord actually was Eight Days of Hope. We knew nobody here. We didn’t know Steve.”

Jack Miller is an ambassador for Eight Days of Hope who packed his things. His wife also relocated to Tupelo from East Texas to devote more time to the ministry. He is training on how to fix chain saws, an important skill set for an Eight Days of Hope team.

“Every saw I can repair saves roughly 70 or 75 dollars of the mission’s money that’s donated to us that can turn around and go right to the people,” said Miller. “And if I can do that for four or five saws on each mission it’s a couple hundred dollars each time.”

Tybor said for Eight Days of Hope the best is yet to come.

Eight Days of Hope plans groundbreaking for its new facility early next year.