We hold in prayer all those impacted by Helene and we give thanks to and for all those who have donated needed supplies, contributed financially, or volunteered to help with the immediate response and long term recovery.

As the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Helene approaches, we are pausing for a long overdue post to share information about the work LDR Carolinas (LDRC) is doing to support Long Term Recovery in both North and South Carolina. While both states experienced significant damage over widespread areas from Helene, the type of damage was different in each state. We cannot emphasize enough that the work of recovery is very different in the two states. 

Previous blog posts and our social media posts on Facebook have included information about our work immediately after Helene and how it has evolved in recent months.  We also have a new Instagram account.

Right now, our work is focused in three major recovery projects:   Bridging Together in NC, Volunteer Coordination in both NC & SC, and the organization of the Lakelands LTRG in SC.  

Bridging Together

This partnership with Mennonite Disaster Response (MDS) to rebuild private bridges destroyed by Helene has been slowly gaining momentum.  Bridging Together has now completed seven bridges, with many more planned for the coming months. Many of the bridge building volunteers are Mennonite and Amish farmers who do not have time to volunteer in the summer but will be available through the winter. 

We have been blessed with significant grant funds from Lutheran Disaster Response, the Western North Carolina Community Foundation and the American Red Cross, as well as funding from the NC Emergency Management Department to provide for engineering and permitting costs as well as materials to build bridges with volunteer labor.  Ray meets regularly with our partners at MDS, as well as other organizations building private bridges in Western NC.  He also serves as chair of the new Private Roads and Bridges Committee of the NCVOAD (Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster).

Volunteer Coordination

Amy Phillips began work with LDRC in mid-January as our WNC Response Coordinator.  She has been working in partnership with NovusWay, who provides housing for many of our volunteers – both the groups registered for Servant Camp at Lutheridge and Lutherock – plus the groups that work with us directly to plan their service trips.   

Amy has also been coordinating with many other organizations working toward recovery in WNC to provide a wide range of volunteer opportunities from muck out, debris removal, and repairing damaged homes to helping prepare and serve food to the hungry.  You can read more about our work in WNC in a recent article on the NC Synod website.

We are also glad to have Jonathon Weant working with us part-time, coordinating work projects and volunteers in the High Country of NC, near Boone!

Kelli Fulmer began work with LDRC in April as our SC Response Coordinator.  She has been working with the SC Office of Resilience and other organizations to identify needs and then work to meet those needs.   Some of the projects she has organized include packing out the contents of homes in preparation for mold remediation, working with VOAD partners to get roofs tarped (or re-tarped after nearly a year of wear), working with local non-profit organizations or contractors to remove fallen trees from property or homes,  and locating and coordinating with local contractors to do plumbing and electrical repairs.

Volunteers in SC have worked on projects including replacing kitchen cabinets and repairing or rebuilding porches and handicap ramps.   Volunteers have come from UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief), Newberry College, local Lutheran congregations, and the local community.

There is an ongoing need for volunteers to help with recovery!  Visit our Volunteer Page for more information on volunteering in either NC or SC.

Above:  Volunteers working on repair projects in SC

Lakelands LTRG

Thanks to grant funding from the American Red Cross, we are working to organize the Lakelands Long Term Recovery Group (LTRG) to provide coordinated recovery efforts in Greenwood, Edgefield, Abbeville, McCormick, Newberry, and Saluda counties.   Kelli Fulmer is taking the lead on this project as the group identifies local leadership, develops bylaws and processes, and works toward becoming a 501c3 non-profit organization.  The work of this group includes weekly meetings of an unmet needs committee to address the needs identified by disaster case managers at SCOR (South County Office of Resilience).

Ongoing Preparedness

In addition to those three major recovery projects, work to support congregational and household preparedness continues in both synods.  In just the past few months, Ruth Ann and/or Ray have been in congregations across South Carolina from North Myrtle Beach to Aiken and several locations in between to preach and lead programs on preparedness. 

We have spoken with local Lutheran Men in Mission gatherings and the SC Women of the ELCA convention about the work of LDR Carolinas.  We have also been present at community events in western North Carolina, distributing children’s comfort kits and preparedness resources.   

We are grateful to Lutheran Disaster Response for providing a recent training for (33) rostered and lay leaders from both NC and SC.  This MESS (Mental, Emotional, and Spiritual Stabilization/Support) training helps prepare disaster responders to walk alongside those who have been impacted by a disaster. 

We are also grateful for the work of our administrator Emily Lemoine who has worked diligently to acknowledge every donation, helped move donated items, and provided support with many projects!

What’s Next?

Our ongoing work of preparedness and recovery will continue.  We have more Congregational Preparedness Workshops planned for the coming months.  Look for more information about these coming soon or contact Ruth Ann to learn more about scheduling a visit to your congregation.

We are sponsoring a special worship service on the first anniversary of Helene.  It will be at Lutheran Church of the Nativity in Arden NC at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 27.  There will be a reception following the service and crisis counselors from Hope4NC will also be available for conversation. It will be streamed on our Facebook page.  Texts and prayers are available for congregations to use in their own worship that weekend.

We will be present at the NC & SC Fall Leadership Convocations at Lutheridge in October.   Visit our display table to talk with us about the work of LDR Carolinas.

We are planning a 6-week online book study on A Ready Hope beginning Thursday January 8.  We will meet on Zoom at 7:00 p.m. each week.  We can provide one FREE copy of the book per congregation.  Talk with Ruth Ann at Fall Convo to pick up a copy.

And we already have another MESS Training planned for May 2026.  This next one will be held at SC Coastal Retreat Center on Isle of Palms May 18-20!  Look for registration information coming soon!

Join our LDR Carolinas Network to get more details about these events and our network meetings on Zoom.

Finally

Thanks to the entire LDR Carolinas team and all the volunteers and donors who have helped support the long-term recovery efforts in both North and South Carolina!