When a weather disaster like Hurricane Helene spins into American communities, the devastation and loss of life left behind might turn the head of mainstream media for a few days. Awareness is temporarily raised for the help needed in the short term, but then as weeks and even months go by, those communities and the long-term help they still need are frequently forgotten.
Hurricane Helene was a category 4 storm that decimated communities in the states of Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, and the Carolinas back in September of 2024. Not even two weeks later, Hurricane Milton hit many of the exact same communities as a category 3 storm in October of 2024. As these natural disaster headlines fade from the media, Christians can still find ways to make a lasting impact by offering ongoing support to struggling communities. Here are four ways to continue being involved.
Photo Credit: ©Canva Pro
1. Support Country Singer Eric Church's Home Building Project
1. Support Country Singer Eric Church's Home Building Project
The news of the hurricanes hit Eric Church in a very personal way given the fact he's originally from North Carolina.
"These are our family members, friends, and neighbors. The community we live in part of the year still has people stranded and desperate for extraction. The whole area is in dire need of help," he wrote on his Instagram, which was picked up by Fox News.
"Anyone who knows anything about me knows what North Carolina and specifically this area in the mountains means to me personally as well as creatively," Church added.
Church has a non-profit called The Chief Cares Fund, which he's going through to support the construction of a 40-50 home community in Avery County, according to The Carolina Journal.
The Chief Cares Fund website paints a vivid picture of how profound the need still is in all the impacted communities. People are still homeless, families are still searching for missing loved ones, roads are still washed out so people can't get to work, and there is so much more devastation than even that.
Church has decided that he'll be using all of the publishing royalties for his new song, Darkest Hour, to help fund rebuilding efforts. So those who wish to contribute can do so just by purchasing the song, according to a press release obtained by Fox News Digital.
"We've been helping with boots-on-the-ground efforts, but this is something that will live beyond just the immediate recovery," Church said. "This is not a quick thing to fix, so hopefully, Darkest Hour will be able to contribute to that for a long time to come. This song goes to my home, North Carolina, now and forever."
Photo Credit: ©Facebook/Eric Church
2. Donate to Samaritan's Purse
2. Donate to Samaritan's Purse
The Christian organization of which Franklin Graham (son of the late Billy Graham) is the CEO has just started providing mobile homes and stick-built homes for area residents who are in need of housing, according to the website. The organization is also replacing the vehicles of those who lost theirs in the storm, as well as campers, for short-term shelter. In some cases, medical and financial needs are being addressed. Of course, whenever the opportunity presents itself, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is being shared, and Bibles are being given out to those in the communities. Those who want to get involved can do so either by donating funds to help with rebuilding, or there are also volunteer opportunities to help with physical rebuilding. Click here for more details.
Photo Credit: ©Facebook/Samaritan’s Purse
3. Volunteer with World Vision
3. Volunteer with World Vision
When most people think of World Vision, they think of sponsoring a child. However, World Vision has been very heavily involved in hurricane relief efforts. An update at their website states that recovery efforts are "ongoing," and that, "While many areas have continued to make progress, some of the hardest-hit communities [still] face challenges such as power restoration, infrastructure repairs, and debris removal."
World Vision has partnered with area churches and has been boots on the ground distributing much needed items such as clean water, generators, diapers, personal care items and more. There are ample opportunities to get involved with this organization, which are advertised at their website. Some of the most common include volunteering at a warehouse, corporate partnerships, and volunteering at Christian concerts. Click here for details about volunteering or giving.
Photo Credit: ©Facebook/World Vision USA
4. Make Contributions to Convoy of Hope
4. Make Contributions to Convoy of Hope
Convoy of Hope has been boots on the ground, too. They have partnered with area churches and other local organizations to provide residents with cleanup and rebuilding. More specifically, some of the tasks they have taken on include removing damaged drywall, furniture, carpet, cabinets, mudding out homes, and repair work, according to their website.
The storm has damaged over 126,000 homes, so there is still a great deal of work to be done just with home repair and rebuilding alone. If you would like to get involved with Convoy of Hope, please click here for details.
Photo Credit: ©Facebook/Convoy of Hope
Originally published February 26, 2025.
