Samaritan's Purse volunteers cleaning up a flooded trailer park after Hurricane Helene. Photo Credits: Selah Greer
Bridget Flaherty, Feature Desk Lead
At the end of September, Hurricane Helene made its way to the mountains of North Carolina. Houses were flooded or destroyed, roads were washed away or blocked off, and many families were displaced from their homes. Amid the chaos, Samaritan's Purse, a Christian humanitarian organization, took to helping people in the affected areas, providing resources and aid throughout the difficult time.
Lucy Soucek, a senior, was actively involved with Samaritan's Purse in the aftermath of the hurricane. Volunteering with the organization allowed her to witness firsthand all the time and effort put into supporting the community. This experience, however, was not the first time Samaritan's Purse had inspired her.
“My dad used to work for Samaritan’s Purse,” said Soucek. “This summer, I had a conversation with him and discussed wanting to volunteer with S.P., help others, but also see how God works through suffering. I had no idea that my community would be in great need of disaster relief itself. I began volunteering as soon as possible and was so encouraged to continue with my work as I saw the direct impact I was capable of making through S.P.”
Volunteering at Samaritan’s Purse takes a great deal of dedication and commitment. Students like Sadie Buchanan, also a senior at Watauga High School, spent every day after the storm helping those who were most affected.
“When volunteering, we showed up at the church at 8:30 a.m. and got our assignments,” said Buchanan. “Depending on where the worksite was, we arrived between 10 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. After the first day, we gave the homeowners a Bible signed by all the members working on the house and prayed with them.”
In order to work efficiently, the volunteers were separated into groups, each with a different task. The process was challenging and took several days to finish, but both Buchanan and Soucek persisted, knowing that it was for an important cause.
“My group did a lot of mud shoveling and demolition,” said Buchanan. “Most of the houses we worked on had flooded and had inches to feet of mud in them, so the first step was to get the mud out. After most of the mud was out we would begin taking out walls and appliances.”
Soucek and other volunteers worked together to help salvage everything they could from the houses they worked in. Unfortunately, many pieces of furniture were ruined by the storm and were beyond saving.
“As we carried each memory out, the homeowner stood in the gazebo with tears in his eyes, with only a small pile of salvageable things as he watched strangers carry away everything he had ever owned,” Soucek explained.
Despite losing so much, many homeowners found ways to show their gratitude to the volunteers.
“We did a lot of work in a neighborhood in Avery County that had been completely flooded,” said Soucek. “Even though these people lost nearly everything, they put out their salvageable food for the volunteers to eat during the day and made us burgers to thank us for our work. The aftermath of the hurricane taught me how important it is to show up for people, no matter how you do it.”
Through the efforts of Samaritan’s Purse, a sense of hope returned to the town of Boone in the wake of Hurricane Helene. The storm left devastating destruction but also revealed the strength of the community. Volunteers like Soucek and Buchanan were thankful to be involved with an organization that provided copious amounts of recovery and relief across the region.
“I learned what true and complete human suffering looks like, but I also learned about the endless love of God and his people,” said Buchanan. “Sometimes it takes a disaster to see the ultimate love and compassion in your community. So many people came together, giving their money, resources, and time for the sake of others.”
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