A Biltmore Church volunteer picking up supplies from a container to organize on one of the designated crates in Arden, North Carolina, on Oct. 7. Across campus lay hundreds of crates that would be used to distribute supplies to those in need. Photo by Emma Heard
In the Southeast of the United States, the end of September brought unprecedented destruction. In a matter of days,Hurricane Helene tore a deadly path through multiple states, ravaging buildings and livelihoods.
From Florida to North Carolina, homes, businesses and entire towns were swept up in this destructive path, and thousands were left without means of survival. Almost immediately, humanitarian aid organizations, churches, communities and individuals banded together to bring supplies and relief to the communities that had been razed by the hurricane.
One community in upstate South Carolina — North Greenville Community, a small private Christian University just an hour south of Asheville in Greenville, South Carolina — saw the need for aid volunteers and acted.
Asheville, North Carolina, was one of the cities nearly destroyed by the hurricane. The staff and students of North Greenville Community saw their proximity to Asheville and felt called to help in some way.
Photo by Connor McManus for Pexels
Collaboration with Biltmore Church
The week of October 7, North Greenville sent multiple teams of staff and students toBiltmore Church in Arden, North Carolina that served as a hub for volunteers. Every day, Biltmore received mass amounts of supplies to be organized and distributed to families in need.
The North Greenville volunteer team worked to unload and organize the supplies being delivered. For five hours, the students worked to unload semi-trucks full of food and water, baby supplies, hygiene products, toys, snacks and whatever else was needed by those who lost everything in the hurricane. Cars full of families in need lined up around the church to collect the supplies.
Around every corner was an opportunity to embody the love of Christ to these families; however, the Lord also showed the North Greenville team opportunities to share the gospel with their co-laborers in the relief effort.
Lexi Keisler, a senior youth ministry major at North Greenville, joined a relief team that traveled to Biltmore Church in Arden, North Carolina. When she heard about the team going to serve, she said immediately joined.
“I had been praying about a chance to be able to serve the community. When North Greenville organized a group of students and faculty to lend a hand, I was excited to join along.”
Semi-trucks full of supplies line up to be organized Oct. 7, in Arden, North Carolina. Every day numerous semi-trucks would arrive with volunteers waiting to unload them. Photo by Emma Heard
Keisler said she arrived at Biltmore and got to work, organizing supplies on the countless crates in the church parking lot. After a few hours, a semi-truck pulled into the parking lot with supplies needing to be unloaded and organized.
While Keisler joined her team in unloading, she said she was able to strike up a conversation with the truck driver who delivered the supplies. She learned that he was from Staten Island, New York, and had driven cross-country to bring supplies down to North Carolina.
Wanting to get to know him better, Keisler said she asked him about his background. He shared he had grown up Catholic but was now exploring different faiths. This conversation, she knew, was an opportunity to share the gospel.
“I felt led to share the gospel and share my own story and explain how embracing and putting my faith in Jesus truly transformed my life,” Keisler said. “He listened very intently, and it was very heartwarming to see how much my testimony touched him.”
While he did not come to faith in that moment, Keisler said she knows he was encouraged and a seed was planted through that conversation. The Lord was able to use a tragedy like the hurricane for His glory, bringing two people together who likely would have never met otherwise.
The effects Hurricane Helene had on the southeast are undoubtedly devastating and tragic. Thousands of lives have been changed because of the hurricane, and healing is going to be a long process for each person harmed.
It is in the depths of suffering that the Church can be the Church by loving the hurting the way God loves them. God has not left the victims of Hurricane Helene alone in their pain — He is using the Church to demonstrate His love for each hurting person.
Emma grew up in Central Asia, but now lives in South Carolina. She is pursuing an Interdisciplinary degree with concentrations in Christian Studies and English Literature. She loves integrating her love for theology and literature through authentic storytelling that reflects God and His work in the world.
