How the Saints Brought Hope After Hurricanes Helene and Milton

Destructive back-to-back Hurricanes Helene and Milton struck the Southeast United States in late September and early October 2024. In the aftermath, some 21,284 volunteers from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints mobilized over a six-week period across five states to lend a helping hand. Dressed in familiar yellow shirts, they served their neighbors in North and South Carolina, Florida, Georgia and Tennessee.

In total, Latter-day Saints across 96 stakes (each similar in size to a diocese) cleared debris, mucked out homes, tarped roofs and brought hope to those who needed it most. They donated 311,256 hours of service.

W. Christopher Waddell, First Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric, visited the Church’s disaster relief command centers in St. Petersburg, Florida, and Asheville, North Carolina. He assessed the effectiveness of the Church’s response, expressed love and support for the community and thanked the volunteers. He said they are emulating Jesus Christ by serving on His behalf and doing for others what they can’t do for themselves.

Elder Craig C. Christensen, North America Southeast Area President, also expressed appreciation for how Latter-day Saints are reaching out in love.

“The service of our members and other volunteers is a reflection of their faith in Jesus Christ. These truly have been examples of Christlike service with the blessing of bringing entire communities together,” Elder Christensen said. “His light compels us to do this work. We are grateful for the more than 300,000 hours of service that have been given in His name. May the Lord bless each and every person who has participated in this Herculean effort.”

Volunteers from the Church assisted in the recovery of some 10,348 homes and houses of worship, including the home of Kathy Reeves, a 74-year-old widow in Trenton, Florida.

“We are so glad to see you here today — and in Jesus Christ’s name,” Reeves said. “I don’t care which church or denomination you belong to — we all belong to God. We are brothers and sisters in Christ. You are doing what God wants you to do.”

An additional 638 volunteers from the Church, representing 73 stakes, fielded more than 17,000 disaster hotline calls from hurricane victims. This enabled call center volunteers to create work orders, which allowed disaster response organizations to identify those in need and render service.

The Church’s response included on-the-ground support to residents, first responders and houses of worship, along with supplies, support and coordination with local and national disaster relief organizations.

“It was sobering to see the devastation to property — but more importantly to families and individuals,” said Elder Amhad Corbitt, First Counselor in the Church’s North America Southeast Area Presidency. “The consecration of time by our thousands of members and full-time missionaries, along with the food, water and many other commodities provided by the Church, have helped our friends and neighbors across the South. It was all part of living the Savior’s two great commandments, and it was inspiring. I personally saw hope and tears of joy in the faces of the grateful recipients.”

To date, the Church has delivered 38 truckloads of supplies, including chainsaws, tarps, gloves, safety glasses, shovels and other tools for volunteer teams. Supplies also included food, water and cleaning materials for teams to distribute to residents in need.

Local food banks across the disaster area have also received truckloads of food and commodities, such as MANNA FoodBank in Asheville, North Carolina.

“The haste with which they responded to the need here was and is truly inspiring,” said Lisa Reynolds, director of food sourcing for MANNA FoodBank. “They have brought needed and usable supplies for us to distribute, and it is making a difference. We will never forget the kindness brought to these mountains. We are so grateful to the Church for walking hand in hand with us to serve our neighbors.”

Additional Church humanitarian projects, in collaboration with established disaster relief organizations, continue to meet needs in affected areas. Efforts include a US$1 million donation to the American Red Cross, prepared meals through Hot Meals USA and Feeding America, ground disaster relief through Team Rubicon, mold removal and sanitation by All Hands and Hearts, emergency medical care through International Medical Corps, and water, sanitation and hygiene supplies through Project HOPE and Catholic Charities USA, as well as support to Save the Children and the Crisis Cleanup hotline.

Tony Paulk, mayor of Douglas, Georgia, praised Latter-day Saint volunteers during a special worship service.