Community Recovery Through Partnership:Seventh-day Adventist Disaster Relief and Polk Referral Center

Fourteen months after Hurricane Helene, many Polk County, N.C., residents continue to face unmet needs related to housing instability, basic household supplies, health access, and long-term recovery navigation. Addressing these ongoing challenges has required strong partnerships rooted in trust, consistency, and community presence. One such partnership is the continued collaboration between Seventh-day Adventist Disaster Relief and the Polk Referral Center.

Since the storm, Polk Referral Center has hosted 14 community distributions on the grounds of the local Seventh-day Adventist Church, with more than 1,200 household visits. These events have been generously supported and hosted by Lorna Dever and her team with Seventh-day Adventist Disaster Relief. The distributions have become a dependable resource hub for households still recovering from Helene’s impacts, providing both tangible supplies and access to critical information.

The distributions have included a wide range of supports tailored to evolving community needs, such as emergency preparedness supplies, hygiene and cleaning items, cold-weather assistance, holiday distributions, and health and wellness days in partnership with AmeriHealth Caritas. Each event also serves as an outreach and referral opportunity, connecting residents with recovery programs and trusted partners, including ReNew N.C. and Hope 4 N.C.

Dever and her team have been gracious hosts to Polk Referral Center, opening their space month after month to ensure Polk County residents have a safe, welcoming environment to receive assistance and reconnect with available services. Their ongoing support has strengthened local outreach efforts and highlighted the importance of sustained recovery long after initial disaster response has ended.

The next community distribution will take place on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. in the gymnasium of the Seventh-day Adventist School, 2820 Lynn Rd., Tryon, N.C.

As recovery continues, donations of cleaning and hygiene supplies remain critically needed. High-priority items include toilet paper, paper towels, dish soap, and laundry soap. These essentials help families maintain health, safety, and dignity while navigating prolonged recovery.

Polk Referral Center and Seventh-day Adventist Disaster Relief remain committed to continuing these distributions as long as community members experience Helene-related needs. Together, they exemplify what sustained, neighbor-to-neighbor recovery looks like as they meet people where they are and walk alongside them on the long road ahead.

— by Michelle Edwards and Lorna Dever