A month after Hurricane Helene, North Carolinians are still struggling to recover.
This weekend, militia group Virginia Kekoas joined with civilian volunteers around Mount Mitchell, digging through decimated houses for salvageable items for surviving homeowners.
David Phillips and Dustin Coke have been volunteering for weeks in the areas affected by Hurricane Helene.
They describe that the scope of destruction is incomprehensible until visiting, and poorer communities are being forgotten about.
Using this home as an example, Coke describes how homeowers asked them to look for some belongings, such as guitars, that “make them feel like they haven’t fully lost everything.”
“We’re here simply because we love them,” said Phillips. “Me and this guy, we don’t got much. But you know what we got a lot of? Love for each other and for the people we’re here to help.”
Many of the donation centers are actually fairly well-stocked, but volunteers both at the affected areas and the “hubs” for relief distribution remain needed.
The militia also spent some time sorting donations at a local church.
“It’s eye-opening how much damage has occurred down here,” said Kekoas leader Eddie “ICE” Ray. “And we’ve only hit the tip of the iceberg.”
