Volunteers numbering 6,172 Latter-day Saints from 400 congregations in Alabama, Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas traveled to areas impacted by Hurricane Helene this past week to assist in relief efforts.
The death toll from Hurricane Helene has reached 227, according to The Associated Press . The deadliest hurricane to hit mainland U.S. since Katrina in 2005, the storm has caused deaths, injuries and copious damage to homes, places of worship and businesses.
Spending more than 77,000 combined hours, the volunteers helped to clear debris, remove trees that had fallen, put tarps on roofs and mucking out flooded homes, according to a press release from the Church Newsroom. One woman, Carolyn Ward from Fairview, North Carolina, said she felt disillusioned by the negativity in the world before the storm hit.
But after receiving help from volunteers, including the Latter-day Saint workers, Ward had a different view.
“I have seen the best in people in the past five days,” said Ward whose own home was damaged. “It’s made me feel better about the world in general, even though I’m standing in absolute chaos. I feel better about the world right now than I have in a long time.”