Samaritan’s Purse, a nonprofit international relief program that has provided water, food and other necessities after the April 27 tornado, has been working to rebuild 20 houses for homeowners who lost everything in that storm.

The homeowners were chosen through an application process for tornado victims who could not afford insurance or were underinsured.

On Friday, Feb. 10, the group completed its first home, and homeowner Stephannie Nixon was given the keys to her new home on Juanita Drive.

Nixon, her two sons and her oldest son’s girlfriend, who was pregnant at the time, were huddled together in the hallway while the tornado destroyed their home.

After the storm, Nixon said she didn’t know where to go for help, so she applied for FEMA, but was denied. Later, at a house expo, she met Linda Howard, who works for Leah Bromley, founder of Rebuild Tuscaloosa.

Howard walked up to a man who worked for FEMA and asked him to help Nixon reapply. He connected her with Samaritan’s Purse, which stepped in to help her rebuild her house.

First, a disaster relief unit came down to help clean debris. Three months later, the construction unit was brought in.

Dan Borton, program manager for Samaritan’s Purse Tuscaloosa Rebuild, said when he came to help, he didn’t know where to start. He said everything was a mess.

“A lot of the people who were in this disaster left, and they’re gone, they don’t want to come back,” Borton said. “They are scared and do not want to return.”

Borton also said they would be building all of the new homes with FEMA qualified safe rooms, made of steel and concrete designed to sustain 150 mph winds and a two-by-four approaching at 200 mph. The safe room is built inside the home’s bathroom, made with a 200-pound steel door with three deadbolts.

Doug Konetchy, the construction manager for Samaritan’s Purse, and his team of volunteers started to do repairs on those homes that could be repaired.

When they finished that, it was time to set plans to rebuild the houses. They took put a lot of consideration into building the safe room. Konetchy said he hopes the safe room can give the families a peace of mind “to help them sleep better.”

Nixon’s house was furnished by First Baptist Church, and Rebuild Tuscaloosa stocked the kitchen.

Nixon said Samaritan’s Purse has been a blessing while planning her new home.

“I knew what I wanted my home to look like, and Samaritan’s Purse worked with me,” Nixon said. “They showed me a plan that was identical to what I pictured my house to be. This is home.”

The safe room was a bonus, Nixon said. It helps her feel safe. She takes comfort knowing where to go when there is a storm.

Gifts were given to Nixon from many of the groups that helped, including a journal with scriptures and words of encouragement from the people who had worked on her house.

The journal was given so she could be reminded of those who have helped her. They also gave her a frame with a spreadsheet of what has been done to the house. The spreadsheet has a stamp that said, “paid in full.”

“You didn’t do anything to earn your salvation,” Borton explained. “It was paid in full by the Lord Jesus Christ.”

“I am eternally grateful for everybody who has worked on the house,” Nixon said.