Spread Your Wings: Helping Others

Hi from Wise County! It’s setup week! Staffers are now safely and happily in their counties and centers across Central Appalachia. They have been setting up their centers this week, and some staffs are preparing for volunteers to arrive on Sunday.   

Josh and I had a special opportunity to capture this week, something I have been wanting to experience since volunteering with ASP. We witnessed the handing over of new home keys to a homeowner who lost their home in Hurricane Helene. As we pulled into the driveway, we saw their brand-new home, built by ASP for them, along with the camper in which they had been living since the storm. We were greeted by the homeowners, David and Carolyn. They are the sweetest people I have ever met. They welcomed us with open arms, were eager to show us their new home, and share their story.   

We spent the morning with them during their final walk-through. They gave us a tour of their new home, cracked jokes, smiled ear to ear, and told us this is the nicest home they’ve ever had. David and Carolyn showed us some of their photos that a local police officer had recovered after the Hurricane. They lost everything, but in that moment, sitting on their new couch together, sharing stories, and watching them reminisce on the past was truly amazing. Watching them smile as Jen, ASP’s East Tennessee Case Management Coordinator, handed them their new house keys was also so special. In that moment, all I could feel was joy for David and Carolyn as they received their keys with smiling faces and shook them proudly. That night, they would be able to sleep in their new home for the first time following Hurricane Helene.   

Josh and I conducted our first homeowner interview this summer with David and Carolyn. They told us how their neighbor saved their lives by picking them up in his truck before the water got too high. He got them onto higher ground, and they watched their community get destroyed by the floods. David and Carolyn felt very blessed to even be alive in this moment, as they lost many of their neighbors. Their positive attitudes and outlook on life were truly inspiring to me because, after everything that had happened, they were still smiling and thanking God for their blessings. Their strength and resilience during this challenging time can teach us a great deal about the importance of our perspective on life.  

Then we went to their neighbor Don’s new home, which was still under construction but nearing completion. Both David and Don were veterans who had already endured so much during their military careers, and now they had survived a Hurricane unlike anything this region had ever seen before. When speaking with these homeowners and learning their stories of hardship and triumph, I kept thinking to myself “God is so good!” Don’s story from the day of Hurricane Helene was eye-opening and put into perspective what some people went through that day. He was taken out of his home by the water current and had to hold on tightly to the post of his porch. Don began to become weak and thought he wouldn’t make it, when some swift water rescuers on a boat arrived to save him and his dog. Don and his dog “Little Bit” were saved and are now able to live another chapter together. Don showed us his garden, which he is very proud of, and has been rebuilding since the hurricane. He also showed us some coins, plaques, and other belongings that he had recovered after the hurricane.  

The community rallied together after the Hurricane, helping each other through this tough time. Don said something during his interview that stuck with me. He talked about how Jesus spoke about separating the righteous from the unrighteous on the Sermon on the Mount and how the righteous are like sheep and help one another. Matthew 25:35-36 says, “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was ill and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me,” Don explained that this is what the community did during this time of need: they helped one another in a Jesus-like way.  

I’ve seen the devastation of natural disasters on TV, but nothing puts it into perspective more than hearing firsthand what people went through that day and all they lost. It made me grateful for what I have and have been through. My perspective on life changed after witnessing such a life-changing moment, hearing about tragedy, and seeing the resilience folks have. I feel so blessed to be a small part of their journey into a new home and get to share their story with others.

So spread your wings to help others in a Christ-like way. 

Until next week! 

Haley Holcomb

Story Gathering Intern