Luis Biazotto
When Hurricane Helene tore through the Southeast, it left behind scenes that many described as unimaginable. Floodwaters swallowed homes from Florida to southwest Virginia and northeast Tennessee. Mothers stood helpless in empty grocery stores. Families slept beneath leaking roofs. Entire neighborhoods sat in darkness, unsure how to find help. One volunteer said quietly, “It felt unreal.”
In the middle of this heartbreak, Adventist Community Services (ACS) Disaster Response stepped forward. With destruction stretching across hundreds of miles, church members provided relief in 18 impacted locations ranging from Valdosta, Georgia, to Johnson City, Tennessee.
For many, this response was deeply personal. Esa Blair, an individual who was assisted, shared, “Helene affected me and my family. Our roof was torn. Every other day, my son and I were on the roof with tarps and buckets. We had no power. But even then, we wanted to help others.”
Across the conference, Adventist churches became hubs of compassion. Members serving in distribution centers placed water, diapers, food, tarps, cleaning supplies, baby care items, clothing, and blankets directly into the hands of families who had lost so much. Volunteers in donations management sorted mountains of supplies that poured in from across the region. Rebuilding teams helped remove debris, secure roofs, and give families the strength to begin again. Others offered shower access, emotional and spiritual care, and countless small but powerful moments of prayer.
Families came in tears, overwhelmed by loss. Some needed help finding medicine or hygiene items; others simply hoped for a clean place to shower after days in the dark. Volunteers listened, encouraged, and met needs in any way they could. One volunteer reflected, “We can’t fix everything, but even if we give someone a tarp or diapers or cleaning supplies, it’s a small step toward hope.”
On the final day at one distribution site, a woman arrived to gather supplies for another family that had lost everything. Her compassion mirrored the very heart of ACS Disaster Response: always ready to bless someone else.
Disaster response is both emergency work and ministry. It is the Church becoming the hands and feet of Jesus. It’s neighbors helping neighbors.
When Helene hit, the Church showed up — and through every act of love, hope was restored.
Georgia-Cumberland | February 2026
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