One year after Helene, community unites at Swannanoa church event to heal and reflect
By Rian Stockett
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SWANNANOA, North Carolina (WLOS) — Music filled Valley Hope Church in Swannanoa, where community members met and looked back on that fateful September day one year ago.
“Remembering lives lost, remembering businesses and homes lost or how impacted our community was and above all, we’re remembering God’s faithfulness,” said Director of Discipleship at Valley Hope Church, Amy Berry.
At this Helene remembrance event organized by the church, the congregation heard stories and testimonies from community members who were impacted by Helene.
One of the speakers was Cortney Pauly, whose basement flooded and then in January, they found mold in the house.
“The mold is actually what made us sick for the first half of 2025. We’ve been out of our house for the last few months and now Valley Hope is helping us to put it back together,” said Pauly.
News 13 also spoke with Amy Geist, a church member who turned her house into a distribution center after Helene, bringing supplies to the wider area of the community.
“All of our emotions are just sort of brimming and we feel really grateful to be together on the anniversary of Helene,” said Geist.
North Carolina Governor Josh Stein was also in attendance today.
Following the service, he spoke to us about how churches like this play an integral role in helping people face the past and move toward a better future.
“It was a really moving event here at Valley Hope and this was an integral part of the recovery for Swannanoa and what is so clear is the recovery requires repair not only of physical things, of stores, of homes, of roads of bridges, but it requires a repair of heart,” said Stein.
To help the area recover, Valley Hope Church hosts Community meals every Monday.
You can volunteer to help serve by going to their website.
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