Mountain Ways has announced its plans to help people who were affected by Hurricane Helene. On October 4, Dolly Parton, The Dollywood charity, and a number of Parton’s businesses gave a total of $2 million to the charity.
Individuals or families who have lost their main home completely due to the flooding from Hurricane Helene in 2024 can ask for help. Applicants can own their own homes or rent.
In Tennessee, the foundation is focusing its disaster relief efforts on Cocke, Carter, Greene, Hamblen, Hawkins, Johnson, Unicoi, and Washington counties. In North Carolina, it is helping Ashe, Avery, Haywood, Madison, Mitchell, Watauga, Yancey, and the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians.
“I didn’t know what I could do, but I knew I had to do something to help, so I gave Mountain Ways $1 million not long ago.” Parton said, “All of my East Tennessee businesses—Dollywood Parks and Resorts, My Stampede, Pirates Voyage, and the Dollywood Foundation—got together and gave an extra $1 million because they wanted to help too.” “And right now I’m asking everyone to kindly help.” Please be a little light in this dark time and give if you can or offer your time to help.
Online applications can be sent to mtnways.org by people who are qualified. From Monday, October 21, until November 4, people can send in their applications.
“The start of our relief and recovery aid is the first thing we’re doing to help our neighbors in Tennessee and Western North Carolina.” “Our values come from the Appalachian region, and our goal is to share and protect Appalachian culture and heritage by helping and loving our neighbors who have lost so much in Hurricane Helene,” said Lori Moore, Executive Director of Mountain Ways.
“The flood survivors in Tennessee and Western North Carolina need a lot of help. Over the next few months, donations and support are needed to help Mountain Ways reach more people and help them more deeply.” Our goal is to make sure that all the money we raise goes straight to the people who survived the disaster and need it the most, she said.
Along with Crossroads Community Church and Empower Cocke County, Mountain Ways has also set up a warehouse in Newport and given goods through it. These supplies include food and water that have been sent to all the areas that were hit. Some goods have been dropped from the sky into the more remote areas that couldn’t get to the rest of the area because the roads and bridges werehed out.