{"id":2408550,"date":"2025-03-02T09:33:02","date_gmt":"2025-03-02T14:33:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/professional-photographer-covering-disaster-couldnt-help-noticing-the-power-of-christian-charity\/"},"modified":"2025-03-02T09:35:17","modified_gmt":"2025-03-02T14:35:17","slug":"professional-photographer-covering-disaster-couldnt-help-noticing-the-power-of-christian-charity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/professional-photographer-covering-disaster-couldnt-help-noticing-the-power-of-christian-charity\/","title":{"rendered":"Professional Photographer Covering Disaster Couldn&#8217;t Help Noticing the Power of Christian Charity"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fprofessional-photographer-covering-disaster-couldnt-help-noticing-the-power-of-christian-charity%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2408550&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The southeastern United States \u2062is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/struggling-cnn-names-its-3rd-ceo-in-the-last-2-years\/\" title=\"CNN appoints its third CEO in just two years, facing ongoing challenges.\">facing ongoing challenges<\/a> \u2063in recovering from Hurricane \u2062Helene, wich devastated areas in states like \u200bNorth Carolina,\u200d Virginia, and Tennessee, resulting in widespread displacement and destruction. Amidst an election\u2064 cycle that\u2062 shifted \u2062focus\u200d away\u2062 from the disaster, Asheville-based photographer Matt Van Swol\u200d has\u2062 drawn attention to the meaningful contributions of Christian groups, particularly Samaritan&#8217;s Purse, who have been actively assisting in recovery efforts for months without seeking anything in return. Van Swol noted the selflessness of these volunteers, despite not being religious himself. \u200bHis <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/why-this-average-american-is-voting-for-donald-trump\/\" title=\"Why This Average American Is Voting for Donald Trump\">social media posts<\/a> have <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">highlighted local news coverage showing<\/a>\u200b these volunteers engaged in cleanup projects and underscored the recognition from residents. \u2062commenters have also praised Samaritan&#8217;s Purse for\u2064 their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/bidens-gaffe-filled-trip-to-hawaii-for-wildfires-fails-to-quiet-critics\/\" title=\"Biden&#039;s Hawaii trip fails to silence critics amid gaffes.\">past disaster response<\/a>, \u2064contrasting their efforts with\u200c the perceived shortcomings of federal aid. The article reflects on the charitable nature of American Christianity and the enduring spirit of generosity seen in these communities during times of crisis.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_0)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>Much of the southeastern United States is still struggling to recover from Hurricane Helene.<\/p>\n<p>The storm dumped water across North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, and several other states, wiping out entire towns and leaving thousands homeless.<\/p>\n<p>We were in the midst of a heated election cycle, so we only noticed the generational disaster for a few days or weeks, before shifting our attention back to the latest barbs thrown between the candidates.<\/p>\n<p>But Matt Van Swol, a professional photographer who lives in Asheville, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/trump-stunned-finds-north-carolina-threatens-ultimate-accountability-fema\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">North Carolina<\/a>, does still have his focus on the region.<\/p>\n<p>In particular, he recently tweeted that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/woke-christian-magazine-wants-sob-stories-border\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Christian<\/a> groups have been present in the state, offering a helping hand.<\/p>\n<p> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\tif ( getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"stnvideo\").remove() \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p>Though he himself is not a Christian, he can&rsquo;t help but notice their selflessness.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not a religious person, but I see Samaritan&rsquo;s Purse EVERYWHERE in Western North Carolina,&rdquo; Van Swol said.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;They have literally been here for 5 months straight helping us and have asked for nothing in return,&rdquo; he added.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Say what you will about religious groups,&rdquo; he continued, &ldquo;but they 100% show up when it counts.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">I&rsquo;m not a religious person, but I see Samaritan&rsquo;s Purse EVERYWHERE in Western North Carolina.<\/p>\n<p>They have literally been here for 5 months straight helping us and have asked for nothing in return.<\/p>\n<p>Say what you will about religious groups&hellip; but they 100% show up when it counts. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/U4SZMxlM9E\">pic.twitter.com\/U4SZMxlM9E<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Matt Van Swol (@matt_vanswol) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/matt_vanswol\/status\/1893373662843023631?\">February 22, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Van Swol d a video of a local news report showing Samaritan&rsquo;s Purse volunteers, all wearing neon orange t-shirts, completing various cleanup projects in the area.<\/p>\n<p>The news outlet interviewed volunteers who have been serving with Samaritan&rsquo;s Purse for years and captured the reactions of grateful residents.<\/p>\n<p>Other social media commenters lauded Samaritan&rsquo;s Purse for their roles in previous disasters, even comparing their response to the apparent absence of the federal government.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;They were here for us after Ian as well in fact, they were one of the first year and last to leave,&rdquo; one user <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Dualchgwp\/status\/1893415499238686962\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">said<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Samaritan&rsquo;s Purse rebuilt my town after it was destroyed in a flood. FEMA did next to nothing,&rdquo; another <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/a43767796\/status\/1893402623249731659\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">added<\/a>. &ldquo;A bunch of other church groups came in and did good work. We also helped ourselves and our neighbors.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The work completed by Samaritan&rsquo;s Purse testifies to the uniqueness of American Christianity.<\/p>\n<p>Sincere evangelical Christians in America are some of the most <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/christians-significantly-likely-donate-charities-non-christians-study\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">charitable<\/a> people in the world.<\/p>\n<p>From adopting babies and caring for the homeless to helping impoverished countries and providing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/trump-something-north-carolina-biden-administration-never-conceive\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">disaster<\/a> relief, American Christians take seriously the duty to love our neighbors as ourselves, because Christ first loved us.<\/p>\n<p>There are many problems with our culture, and even with our Christian culture, in this nation.<\/p>\n<p>But the fact that a basic spirit of Christian charity, selflessness, and generosity still remains, even to the extent of being noticed by unbelievers, is a refreshing sign and a reason to take heart.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! ( opts[inputs[i]]=document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display='block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src=firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id']=firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting=jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display='block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> \t     \t\t\t\t\t\t     \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><script>console.log(\"ad slot (BA1)\")<\/script> \t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<style> \t\t\t \t\t\t.insticator-unit.type-commenting{margin: 0 10px 25px 10px}@media screen and (max-width:1060px){#div-insticator-ad-cmt-1, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-2, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-3, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-4{margin: 0 auto 25px auto !important;}}#div-insticator-ad-cmt-1, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-2, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-3, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-4{height: 280px !important; width: 336px !important} \t\t<\/style>\n<div class=\"insticator-unit type-commenting\">\n<div class=\"insticator-ads\"> \t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t<script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\t\t\tif ( ! getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tInsticator.ad.loadAd(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-1\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tInsticator.ad.loadAd(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-2\"); \t\t\t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-1\").remove() \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-2\").remove() \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t<\/script> \t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"insticator-ads additional\"> \t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t<script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\t\t\tif ( ! getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tInsticator.ad.loadAd(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-3\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tInsticator.ad.loadAd(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-4\"); \t\t\t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-3\").remove() \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-4\").remove() \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t<\/script> \t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A significant portion of the southeastern United States continues to face challenges in recovering from Hurricane Helene. The storm caused extensive flooding in North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, and other states, devastating communities and displacing thousands. Amid a contentious election period, public attention quickly shifted back to political disputes after only a brief acknowledgment of this major disaster. However, Matt Van Swol, a professional photographer based in Asheville, North Carolina, remains focused on the ongoing recovery efforts. He recently shared on Twitter about the presence of Christian organizations providing assistance in the state. Although he does not identify as religious himself, he has observed their dedication: \u201cI\u2019m not a religious person, but I see Samaritan\u2019s Purse EVERYWHERE in Western North Carolina,\u201d Van Swol remarked. \u201cThey have been here for five months helping us without asking for anything in return.\u201d He emphasized that regardless of opinions about religious groups, they consistently show up when needed most.<\/p>\n<p>Van Swol also posted a video featuring local news coverage of Samaritan\u2019s Purse volunteers engaged in cleanup activities while wearing bright orange shirts. The report included interviews with long-time volunteers and showcased appreciative residents&#8217; responses. Many social media users praised Samaritan\u2019s Purse for their contributions during past disasters and noted the lack of federal government support during this crisis.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey were here for us after Ian; they were among the first to arrive and last to leave,\u201d one commenter stated. Another added that \u201cSamaritan\u2019s Purse rebuilt my town after it was devastated by flooding while FEMA did very little.\u201d Other church groups also contributed positively during these times.<\/p>\n<p>The efforts made by Samaritan&#8217;s Purse highlight an aspect of American Christianity characterized by genuine charity and selflessness. Evangelical Christians across America are known for their generosity\u2014whether through adoption services or disaster relief\u2014taking seriously their commitment to love others as Christ loved them first. While there are certainly issues within both society at large and Christian culture specifically in this country, it is encouraging that acts of kindness continue to be recognized even by those who do not share these beliefs<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2408551,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Michael-Featured-Image-2025-02-28T130928.537.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[51376,51378,41845,51377,51375],"class_list":["post-2408550","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-christian-charity","tag-compassion-in-crises","tag-disaster-coverage","tag-humanitarian-efforts","tag-professional-photographer"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Michael-Featured-Image-2025-02-28T130928.537.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2408550","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2408550"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2408550\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2408554,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2408550\/revisions\/2408554"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2408551"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2408550"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2408550"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2408550"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}