SHARE
Boone, N.C. — Walking through the devastation left behind by Hurricane Helene in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina, Liberty University’s disaster relief team is seeing firsthand the heartaches of families who have endured incredible losses.
A team of eight students and two team leaders from Liberty’s LU Serve Now initiative left campus on Sunday to spend the week removing debris and mold and completing mud outs and various other tasks while offering encouragement and care to those affected. The trip is one of three the university has organized in response to Hurricane Helene and in partnership with Samaritan’s Purse. Next week, two more teams will travel to Valdosta, Ga., and Perry, Fla. Liberty recently sent a trailer with 22 pallets of bottled water to Anchor Faith Church in Valdosta to be distributed to those in the community, and President Dondi Costin recently announced that the university would match up to $1 million in donations for hurricane disaster relief.
“One of the main goals is to give hope to people who lost everything and get students out of their comfort zone to go and do something that might not be something they would normally do on a weekly basis,” said Kathy Joiner Chamber, LU Serve director of experiential education (CSER) and a team leader in Boone. “That is to be a light in a dark time and to give people some hope, cheer them up a little bit, and let them know that other people care about what they’re going through in such a terrible time of loss. It’s important to think outside yourself.”
Video by Isaac Brenny
“Being able to talk to the homeowners is really important,” sophomore Yanci Sanchez said after removing mold-covered objects from a homeowner’s basement. “Everyone is on the go, go, go, but (homeowners) are going through a lot. Just being a person that they can talk to and being a comfort for them is really important.”
While meeting the people’s physical needs undoubtedly plays a crucial role in helping them recover from this tragedy, Liberty University and Samaritan’s Purse heavily emphasize meeting the emotional and spiritual needs as well. Before conducting the day’s assignments, the group prays with residents to demonstrate the love of Christ to them. Sanchez noted that the group was also able to present one homeowner with a gift earlier in the week.
“Before and after we help the people here, we always pray,” freshman Nicolas Chism said. “It’s such an amazing experience to be able to witness their emotions. Prayer works, and that’s proof that it does. Talking with them about their experiences is amazing.”
Each day brings a new challenge for volunteers, so team members stay flexible and ready to meet whatever need arises. The team has been staying overnight at Alliance Bible Fellowship in Boone, N.C., and leaving from there early each morning to different job sites every day. At one location on Wednesday, students removed nails and debris from an elderly woman’s house to prepare for a contractor to come and rebuild the structure. The students also served another neighbor by cleaning out mold in his basement and disposing of ruined belongings.
As college students, Liberty’s team members are still expected to complete their school assignments while on the trip, so they worked ahead as much as possible and have been studying during their free time in the evenings.
“Having your heart ready to serve and being able to give up that time is really important,” Sanchez said. “For me personally, I prayed about it to see if this is what God really wanted me to do, and thankfully He gave me the opportunity. I worked ahead, tried to communicate with my professors as well, and here I am.”
In addition to blessing hurricane victims, the trip has also afforded students the chance to build lasting relationships with their peers, many of whom they did not know prior to being selected for the trip. Through eating meals together and serving side-by-side, the team is building friendships that will last much longer than the trip itself. Another way the team fosters community is through playing evening board games.
“It’s so awesome. As Christians, we were made to love each other, and personally, I can tell that we sincerely love each other and work so well together,” Chism said. “At night and in the morning, we play UNO! together. It’s such a small thing but it means so much. It creates family.”
Prior to the trip, students underwent training to help them best assist those they encounter. This training, along with the biblical instruction that students receive at Liberty, prepares them to effectively serve others. Chism, who noted that he became a Christian after attending this semester’s first Campus Community service, said his Liberty instruction provided him with the tools to share his faith with others.
“Serving is very important,” he said. “A college that prioritizes this is such an amazing thing. You don’t see (many) other colleges traveling across the country (to serve). Coming to Liberty and seeing that is amazing. I love it.”
Liberty has a longstanding reputation for community service, consistently partnering with humanitarian aid organizations during times of need. Past projects include assisting Ukrainian refugees in Romania, helping those affected by flooding in Kentucky, and cleaning up debris left behind by the devastating Hurricane Idalia that struck North Florida last year.
The LU Serve Now initiative provides multiple opportunities for students to travel across the country in response to natural disasters. Students interested in participating are encouraged to apply online.
“Go and (serve),” Chamber said. “Even if you are just on the fence, just go ahead and do it. I promise that you won’t regret doing it. This is something that will last a lifetime. Even after you are gone, the impact that we make and the Jesus that you leave behind (lasts). The main thing is to leave an impression on people and let them know that you are still going to be praying for them even after you leave the area.”