When Hurricane Helene devastated the Southeast just over three weeks ago, the natural disaster sparked a stunning citizen mobilization in the private sector, catapulting it to the front lines of disaster relief efforts.
Roads have been damaged and railroad tracks washed away, power lines are still strewn across the roads, and many towns in Western North Carolina, such as Marshall, Spruce Pine and Burnsville, still have no running water or internet access. However, thanks to the quick response of private organizations such as Samaritan’s Purse, Aerial Recovery, Happy Helicopters and Baptists on Mission, helpless hurricane survivors were rescued in remote areas who would otherwise almost certainly have died. Hundreds of thousands of people were fed, homes restored, and powerful armies of volunteers filled with hope.
Here are details about four nonprofit organizations and private companies that provided invaluable assistance to people in the wake of one of the most devastating hurricanes to ever hit the U.S.
Samaritan’s purse
Probably one of the most important people who provided first aid after Helena’s death, as told by Samaritan’s Purse, Washington Examiner in an email that since Sept. 30, it has mobilized more than 18,000 volunteers to help more than 1,200 families remove mud from homes, remove fallen trees, remove debris and plan for damaged roofs. More than 7,000 families have turned to the faith-based organization for help, which has a total of seven resource centers dedicated to Helene’s efforts.
The Department is providing aid to more than 160 of the hardest-hit communities, and members of the Disaster Response Team conducted the largest civilian airlift operation in U.S. history. More than 300 emergency airlift operations were performed using helicopters from private companies, individuals and nonprofit organizations, as well as two Chinook helicopters from the Army National Guard.
A group of Samaritan’s Purse volunteers pray at WNC after Hurricane Helene. (Courtesy of Samaritan)
Across WNC, Ministry of Information Technology staff installed 83 Starlink links in remote locations to restore internet services. Because many people in the area still do not have running water, Samaritan’s Purse engineers also installed three community water filtration systems that produced more than 270,000 liters of clean water. Thanks to the ministry’s medical support, more than 1,000 oxygen tanks were filled in four North Carolina counties.
A spokeswoman for Samaritan’s Purse said that “as an international Christian aid organization, we have always prioritized partnerships with local churches, recognizing their unique role in providing hope and practical help in times of crisis.”
One family in Burnsville was among many whose homes were destroyed by the mud. They were volunteers from Samaritan’s Purse who were the first to arrive to clean up on October 12. They were among about 500 ministry volunteers who showed up that Saturday to help the small town.
“We are committed to working through the local church, sharing the love of Jesus Christ in word and deed,” Samaritan’s Purse said Washington Examiner.
Air Recovery Group
Aerial Recovery is a civilian, non-profit group made up of veterans and other volunteers. In the wake of the tragedy, Helene provided thousands of pounds worth of lifesaving supplies to people in remote areas. Often, thanks to their support, it was possible to save defenseless survivors who would have died if not for the group’s quick response.
Saving an 11-day-old premature baby in a life-or-death situation, providing a 93-year-old woman with a feeding tube and purchasing a generator so she and her 70-year-old daughter could keep food cold, rescuing an elderly couple stranded in a landslide land and helping a woman “with just one day left of her means of subsistence” are just a few examples where Arial Recovery has provided assistance to people who are running out of time.
“Maybe the government is doing what it can, and then there are other areas that it is taking care of, and I think that’s why we’re here,” said one volunteer. “I would say for every three National Guard helicopters I see, I probably see 40 civilian helicopters.”
“We will take care of the areas that are not receiving help. What we do here is grassroots,” she added.
And their grassroots efforts have helped thousands of people. A series of Instagram posts highlighted by the group illustrate the huge group of people, especially at WNC, that Aerial Recovery has helped.
“In just the first hour and a half (after Helene was hit), we received over 200 desperate calls,” one post read. A post written a few days later noted that the group “receives between 150 and 200 requests per day.” Another post from October 7 said that the Aerial Recovery team was “responding to over 1,100 disaster relief requests.”
“We are currently collecting over 3,000 pounds of medical supplies,” a volunteer said in one of the videos, adding that the previous day the group had transported over 3,000 pounds of medical supplies to the hardest-hit communities.
Happy helicopters
The head of Greenville, South Carolina-based travel company Happy Helicopters has started a whole new grassroots movement by launching a GoFundMe to deliver supplies to WNC, using his small business as a launching pad for massive disaster relief efforts.
“We receive hundreds of e-mails and phone calls asking for help. These requests come from people without utilities who have run out of food and water,” reads Burch’s WNC GoFundMe account. “Some people drink water from muddy streams. Countless elderly residents and families with infants are stranded in remote locations.”
As of October 17, Isaiah Burch’s WNC fundraising account had generated over $265,000. Together with Tracy Roberts, a real estate broker from Greenville, they have turned a one-man effort into a small army of personal planes and helicopters flown by volunteer pilots who just want to do “something that will help” comments on Post and Courier. Thousands of people from the Greenville community participated in a massive donation drive, and helicopters transported essential items such as baby formula and warm clothes to WNC.
Between September 29 and October 7, the efforts of Happy Helicopter transported almost £2 million worth of aid to WNC.
“The mission was to fill the void before large organizations could launch relief efforts,” the small company said in an Oct. 9 Facebook post.
And it passed. “We were the first people to bring baby supplies,” wrote one Happy Helicopter social media post, describing volunteer efforts for a small, remote town in North Carolina.
Baptists on mission
Baptists on Mission is another element that holds together devastated communities in the wake of Helena’s deadly death.
Using three mass feeding sites spread across four North Carolina counties, the faith-based organization has provided approximately 300,000 meals to people since Helene struck, delivering 42,000 meals in one day at the height of its relief efforts. Earlier this week, one of the feeding sites was closed.
With 16 outreach centers serving as the ministry’s base, Baptists on Mission continues to send approximately 1,200 volunteers a day to WNC to help people clean their homes, cut down trees and put tarps on the roofs of damaged homes to protect them from further threats. Pity.
Mission Baptist Disaster Relief Coordinator Tom Beam said the ministry has worked and completed about 400 hurricane-damaged homes so families can move back into them. He estimated that the ministry still had 1,600 to 1,800 houses on its list to complete.
Mission Baptist volunteers serve in Spruce Pine at First Baptist Church, providing community meals, yellow t-shirts, and search and rescue. Emergency teams are being dispatched to help homeowners clear trees and mud and clean up damage. (Courtesy of Mission Baptists.)
Baptists on Mission has received an “overwhelming” response from ordinary people who wanted to support the group with their efforts. About 7,000 people volunteered, which is more than the organization can even provide.
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“We are trying to employ as many people as possible, but it is not possible to house that many people at one time,” Beam explained. He noted that volunteers sleep on “Sunday school classroom floors,” air mattresses and cots.
“Our calling is to serve people,” Beam said Washington Examiner. He said that’s why Mission Baptists are on the “front lines” of disaster relief efforts.
