More than 12,000 volunteers from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have donated 170,000 hours to relief efforts at 5,700 homes impacted by hurricanes Helene and Milton, ChurchofJesusChrist.org recently reported.
Hurricane Milton made landfall on Wednesday, Oct. 9, near Sarasota, Florida, as a Category 3 storm. With it came flooding from Jacksonville to the Everglades, widespread power outages affecting more than 3 million people and over 40 tornadoes throughout central and south Florida. Multiple news outlets have reported death tolls from at least 10 to over 20.
The storm came on the heels of Hurricane Helene, which made landfall late evening on Thursday, Sept. 26, in the Big Bend region of the Florida Panhandle. As a Category 4 hurricane with winds of up to 140 miles per hour, up to 30 inches of rain and a record storm surge from waters piling up along Florida’s west coast, it was the strongest hurricane to ever hit the area and the deadliest to strike the U.S. since Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana in 2005. Over 200 people have died as of Oct. 7, multiple news outlets have reported.
Latter-day Saints spent Oct. 12 and 13 assessing damage and helping neighbors throughout central and southern Florida. All missionaries are safe, and some Church buildings in Florida were damaged.
For the upcoming weekend of Oct. 19-20, the Church will organize command centers in Florida to help with disaster relief. An estimated 5,500 volunteers will participate.
“Disaster relief work is truly the 99 seeking the one,” said Elder John D. Amos of Orlando, an Area Seventy in the Church’s North America Southeast Area and a member of the area’s Disaster Response Committee. “We gather in groups by the hundreds, wearing yellow shirts and carrying chain saws, ready to help those in need. But we are not just removing trees — we are restoring hope. We are not just mucking out homes — we are sharing His light. We are not just tarping a roof — we are bringing peace. In doing so, we are living the great commandments to love God and love our neighbors.”
Best ways to help
In the wake of Hurricane Helene, the Church sent trucks of water, food, hygiene kits and other essential supplies to the locations of greatest need. Missionaries also helped clean up after the storm’s devastating impact across the southeastern U.S.
President Kyle S. Gillett, president of the Asheville North Carolina Stake, said it’s beautiful to see believers come together in service.
“It’s certainly not just members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints [doing service here],” he said. “We’re embedded in the Bible Belt, and there are so many people who are seeking to serve and do what Christ would do at this time.”
For those who wish to help, President Gillett said the best thing they can do is take care of their own communities first.
“We love all the support we can receive. But we want to make sure that folks are first taking care of themselves,” he said. “A theme that I have been seeking to live by and counsel by this week is something Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf [of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles] said: Stand close together and lift where you stand. Once your local communities are supported, then reach out and see where else you can support.”
Those wanting to help can also visit JustServe.org for local service opportunities or consider donating to the Church’s Humanitarian Fund.
Melody and Paul Hailstone, JustServe specialists who live near Atlanta, Georgia, said that the instinct to run out and help when disaster strikes sometimes has the unintended consequence of overwhelming places with little infrastructure for receiving that help. For instance, an area recovering after a natural disaster may not have resources like housing or gasoline.
That’s why the best way people outside of affected areas can help is to give funds to reputable organizations, Melody Hailstone said.
“Those organizations know exactly what the people who are suffering need, and they can provide targeted items to those who are in need,” she said.
Paul Hailstone added that in disaster areas, local JustServe specialists are best equipped to coordinate with relief organizations and communicate when those organizations are ready for volunteers.
JustServe is a tool “that allows us to serve [with] organizations across the country and down the street,” he said. “I think that’s just beautiful. Disasters like this highlight the fact that there are so many ways and so many people and so many organizations that are out there doing good and following Christ’s teachings.”
When disaster strikes, Paul Hailstone continued, the spirit of service enters into so many hearts. And often, the best way to act on that spirit is to serve locally.
That tradition then becomes “a long-lasting, ongoing, beautiful aspect of your discipleship,” he said.
