Former state Sen. Deanna Ballard has seen firsthand the devastation of Hurricane Helene and will be telling the recovery stories from western North Carolina for North State Journal.
LINCOLN COUNTY — Bottled water, diapers and winter coats poured in by truckloads in the initial days after Hurricane Helene destroyed counties across western North Carolina. But recovery efforts have evolved since those first few weeks of the emergency. These critical donations were lifelines for families who had lost nearly everything. But as the dust settles and counties brace for a long winter of recovery, the needs have shifted — and some might surprise you.
When Steve Autrey, senior pastor of Denver United Methodist Church, received a request for new mailboxes, it stopped him in his tracks. For weeks, he and his congregation had been working with South Toe Fire and Rescue delivering supplies, collecting cash donations and deploying volunteers weekly to Yancey County. But mailboxes? It hadn’t occurred to him that the storm had washed them away, leaving residents without a way to receive vital mail and packages.
Denver United Methodist Church teamed up with local businesses to purchase and deliver 105 mailboxes and posts to date. Lowe’s sold them the mailboxes at a sizable discount, while Dellinger Building Supplies in Lowesville donated 4-by-4 posts. When supplies arrived, a spirited assembly line of parishioners and volunteers — joined by members of Holy Spirit Catholic Church — got to work. The newly assembled mailboxes were promptly delivered to the local post office, ready to restore a small but critical piece of normalcy for storm-weary residents.
But why did a church almost 100 miles away focus its philanthropic efforts on Yancey County, a small community of just 19,000 people? For Autrey, the answer is deeply personal. Born and raised in Celo, a tight-knit community in Yancey County nestled between the Blue Ridge and Black mountains, Autrey’s connection to the area runs as deep as his family’s history. His ancestor, John Autrey, was one of the first people to settle the valley, and the Autrey family cemetery still holds generations of his relatives. While Steve eventually moved away, much of his family remains, their lives rooted in the rugged beauty of Yancey County.
When Hurricane Helene unleashed 30 inches of rain in just 24 hours, the resulting floodwaters devastated Celo. Having received no communication from his family, Autrey was worried about his elderly parents, three brothers, and their families. Days passed without word, forcing him to rely on his faith and the support of his church community. Finally, his brother Charlie, a longtime firefighter and former fire chief, reached him with a comforting message: The Autrey family was safe. But the work was just beginning.
Autrey marvels at the grit and determination of the mountain community he knew so well. His father and brother joined countless locals who offered their heavy equipment and manpower to clear roads, repair bridges and lend a hand wherever needed. When a landslide blocked Celo’s main road, it wasn’t state crews but resourceful residents who restored access in record time.
“That’s just the mountain way,” Steve Autrey said with a smile. “They’re not going to wait on the DOT.”
Now, nine weeks after the historic storm, the needs in Yancey County remain urgent. The storm claimed 10 lives from the Yancey community with three still missing, according to Watauga Online. More than 45 homes were washed away. So when Autrey proposed the idea of adopting his home county, church members responded with enthusiasm.
“It’s one thing to hear about a place; it’s another to have a personal connection to it,” he said.
With his personal connections to the area, Autrey has worked closely with the fire department to discern precisely what people need rather than overwhelming donation centers with random supplies. One critical issue has been the destruction of culverts, which has left emergency responders unable to reach certain areas. Therefore, the church is now focusing on buying and delivering new culverts, one load of which costs approximately $15,000. In the spirit of collaboration characteristic of North Carolinians, local suppliers like Metrolina Landscape in Charlotte have stepped up and donated several loads of supplies.
Charlie Autrey, Steve’s brother and a longtime volunteer firefighter, commends these efforts:
“We’re local folks just coming together with our logging skidders and tractors trying to gravel top and rebuild roads and bridges,” he said. “My brother’s church had an estimated $50,000 of pipe delivered within 1½ weeks after the storm. It was substantial.”
Fundraising efforts at Denver Methodist have raised $166,248 so far. They’ve also contributed $20,000 to the fire department for microgrants, helping individuals with specific recovery needs. Some members have even found creative ways to help. Beth Joy, for instance, created and sold “Mountain Strong” merchandise, raising nearly $4,000 to provide Christmas gifts for affected children. By collaborating with other groups like Celo United Methodist, Spruce Pine United Methodist and the Celo Community, Steve Autrey and his congregation are working to bridge the mountain culture of self-reliance with the healing power of collective action.
Yancey County reopened schools Monday, and teachers will be invaluable “boots on the ground” in identifying families in need and connecting them to resources. Denver United Methodist aims to adopt one or two families to help them rebuild their lives completely. By focusing their resources on deeper, long-term support rather than spreading them wide and thin, the church hopes to build genuine relationships that foster trust and hope within the community. Understanding that there’s no quick fix, Autrey says, “We want a long-term relationship with this community so we can hopefully be part of the recovery and still be doing work up there in a couple years.”
With eyes focused on the months ahead, Steve implores readers to “be an encourager” and seek ways to support first responders who have thrown themselves into the fray since day one. Whether through a cash donation, a heartfelt thank-you note or a special meal, gestures of appreciation can make a meaningful difference for those like his brother Charlie who remain on the front lines.
If you’d like to join Denver United Methodist’s hurricane relief efforts, you can send monetary donations through South Tow Fire and Rescue’s GoFundMe page at tinyurl.com/NSJ-SouthToe. You can also mail personal letters of gratitude and encouragement to volunteers by addressing them to South Toe Volunteer Fire and Rescue at 158 Winchester Drive, Burnsville, NC 28714.
The mailboxes delivered by Denver United Methodist Church aren’t just for bills or packages — they’re beacons of resilience, connection and hope. In that same spirit, let’s fill the volunteers’ mailboxes with heartfelt reminders to our modern-day heroes that their efforts matter. On days when hope feels distant, these letters will remind them they’re not alone. After all, they’ve got mail.
