For the communities devastated by Hurricane Helene in North Carolina, the process of rebuilding homes and businesses is gradual. However, an extraordinary influx of volunteers has accelerated the restoration of community spirit in towns such as Chimney Rock and Bat Cave.
Chimney Rock Village suffered extensive damage from Helene’s flooding, but residents witness daily arrivals of supplies, workers, and construction materials from across the nation, fostering hope for a brighter future. According to a WCNC special report, every store on Chimney Rock’s historic main street undergoing reconstruction is being rebuilt with donated materials. The majority of the labor force consists of Pennsylvania Amish volunteers affiliated with the Great Needs Trust.
Amos Stoltzfus, one of the Amish volunteers, shared with WCNC, “We come out here every morning, working mostly in Chimney Rock and in Bat Cave. We have been cleaning the campground, insulating a new building, and organizing donated products, paper supplies, and drywall.” The Amish women, dressed in traditional frocks and bonnets, efficiently install drywall panels alongside men in straw hats, whose renowned carpentry skills are helping restore the town’s rustic charm lost to the floods.
Stoltzfus expressed the emotional fulfillment derived from the work: “It just fills my heart with joy, watching people get their life back again. Somebody that was completely devastated through the storm… somebody who didn’t have anything… it is just so encouraging to see them get back on their feet.”
WCNC reports that the combined efforts of the Great Needs Trust and local volunteers have brought about 2,000 pairs of helping hands to Chimney Rock. Volunteer Susan Miller remarked, “It was really great being here… and working. It is definitely something I would love to come back for, like how it is in a couple of years… it is fun making a difference.”
This remarkable volunteer-driven recovery highlights the resilience and solidarity of these North Carolina communities in the wake of Hurricane Helene’s unprecedented destruction