‘First In, Last Out’: World Vision helps families rebuild one year after Hurricanes Helene and Milton

SWANNANOA (September 22, 2025) — One year after Hurricanes Helene and Milton devastated the Southeastern United States, Christian humanitarian organization World Vision continues to support families as they rebuild their homes and communities.

In September 2024, Hurricane Helene brought heavy rainfall and strong winds to Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas, killing more than 250 people and destroying thousands of homes. Less than two weeks later, Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida, compounding the devastation and leaving even more families displaced.

World Vision teams responded immediately, mobilizing pre-positioned supplies from warehouses across the country. Within 24 hours, teams were on the ground delivering food, water, and other emergency supplies. Over the following months, World Vision delivered 92 truckloads of supplies to more than 90,000 survivors across four states. More than 83,000 pounds of food and 19,000 gallons of water were distributed through local church partners and other community organizations.

In the year since, World Vision has shifted from emergency relief to long-term recovery. Through partnerships with local churches, community organizations, and corporate donors, World Vision is developing plans to rebuild up to 150 homes, focusing on the hardest hit towns like Chimney Rock and Swannanoa.

“World Vision’s mission is not only to be among the first to respond when disaster strikes, but also to stay long after the headlines fade,” said Reed Slattery, national director of US Programs at World Vision. “That’s what we mean by being ‘first in, last out.’ Our commitment is to help families not just survive the immediate impacts of the storm but to thrive long-term by rebuilding their homes. We’re honored to be the Lord’s hands and feet during the most difficult times in the lives of storm survivors.”

In Swannanoa, North Carolina, families such as Jim and Allie Bourdy are among those who have benefited directly from World Vision’s support. Their home was destroyed by Helene’s flood waters. Today, with donated building materials from World Vision and the help of local partners, the couple is rebuilding. The donated materials were critical to every stage of rebuilding from putting down flooring to installing windows and drywall. Through corporate partners, World Vision also provided a small shipping container to store the couple’s belongings as they rebuilt.

“Just even the smallest things that we don’t have to pay out of pocket for is just the biggest blessing to us,” Allie Bourdy said. “It still seems unfathomable how much we have to spend to rebuild our own house, but … contributions and donations have meant the world to us.”

Since 1981, World Vision U.S. Programs has worked to create environments in which all children are healthy, educated, cared for, protected, thriving and participating in their communities.  Emergency relief is a core component of that work, and we activate an extensive network to ensure we can respond wherever disaster strikes.

We achieve this through six strategically positioned World Vision Storehouses across the U.S. and a network of more than 3,600 churches and local nonprofits that help identify needs in disaster areas, assess damage, and distribute relief supplies.

World Vision Pastor Ambassadors are a unique feature of World Vision’s disaster response. Pastor Ambassadors, having been supported by World Vision in a previous emergency, travel with our staff into hard-hit communities, bringing firsthand experience of our relief work. They’re able to mentor impacted pastors and church leaders and offer emotional and spiritual support to people in crisis.

Among them is Pastor Jerry Haynes of Inner Court Outreach Ministries, who led his community through recovery after Hurricane Harvey in 2017. During the Hurricane Helene response, he joined World Vision to encourage local pastors and remind them, “How do we serve God? By serving people.”

About World Vision:
World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. Motivated by our faith in Jesus Christ, we serve alongside the poor and oppressed as a demonstration of God’s unconditional love for all people. World Vision serves all people, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity or gender. For more information, visit worldvision.org or follow on X @WorldVisionUSA.