The day after the waters of Hurricane Helene raged through our community, members and friends of Valley Hope Church strapped on their Chacos and rainboots to brave the roaring rivers that now encapsulated our neighborhood. The water lapped against rooftops as far as we could see, having washed away entire homes and stretches of this once serene and tranquil place. At the time, so many of us found ourselves asking, “Lord, we know you are good and you are faithful. But how are you going to take care of all of these people who are hurting?” And yet day after day, the Father poured out His mercy and drew us near in the midst of the pain - near to one another, and near to Him. With all of the false walls of independence and self-sufficiency shattered, we found ourselves more keenly aware of our need and utter dependence on Him than most of us had ever experienced before. In the wake of the storm, He began to provide in marvelous and miraculous ways. The Lord brought faithful volunteers, donors, churches, and organizations from around the country to walk with us - to provide water, meals, supplies, cars, RVs, and building materials to meet the critical needs of our community. And through His provision, He is knitting together a whole new community of His children who are walking together week after week, sharing one another’s burdens and celebrating His love. 

While there was a tremendous surge of help immediately after the storm, the Better Together Coalition has been this remarkable collective of people who have steadfastly remained. Through the immense generosity of Excel College and the sacrifice of many, these team members from Adventures Relief and Operation Blessing have each committed to walk with our community for the next two years, working faithfully until 300 homes have been restored. This team has brought hope and solidarity to a weary land. It is a privilege and a joy for Valley Hope Church to walk in this space, catalyzing a network of over 1,200 volunteers to work to repair the homes of our neighbors. We want to declare again and again to those who are hurting that the Lord is near the brokenhearted and that He has not forgotten them. Our prayer is to help both homeowners and small business owners to have hope, and to know that they are not alone. 

One of the critical components that determines whether a small town like ours will recover or collapse after a disaster is if small businesses are given the support they need to weather the storm - in every sense of the word. In a town made up primarily of independent business owners, our church is committed to doing what we can to bridge that gap. Thus far, Valley Hope has invested a little over $150,000 into approximately 25 small businesses in the Swannanoa Valley. One recent recipient shared the following experience, saying, “We have been devastated economically in the past several months by an extreme lack of customers and sales. It hasn’t been this bad in 21 years…I honestly don’t understand why, but there is shame in filling this out. We have never been in a situation this dire. We are a normal family with all of the normal needs…sometimes feast and sometimes famine…but this situation has been different and very dark.  FEMA, SBA, insurance companies…all absolutely zero money or help…not a cent. We have just felt so heavy with this that we’re exhausted.” After receiving a small business support gift, they shared the sentiment that God heard the cries of their heart and answered those prayers through His people. 

We thank God that this, along with so many other stories, is only the beginning of the restoration that is ahead for our Valley. Thanks to the brave faith and sacrifice of those at Excel College and the Better Together Coalition, we believe God has something even better in store for our community than what we’ve ever known. One homeowner shared their story that reflects this very sentiment in this video - we hope you can check it out and that you’ll join all of us in this great work ahead!