Volunteer workers reflect on Helene

KNOX COUNTY, Tenn. — There is still work to be done in communities affected by Hurricane Helene to heal, according to leaders of humanitarian organizations who have been volunteering in affected communities.

The work that's left will be as much about emotional and spiritual recovery as manual labor, and neighbors will have a part to play in all of it, East Tennessee leaders said.

Stefan Fox, the founder of Mountain Strong Sanctuary, said his team will continue to use a support network of neighbors and organizations that MSS has built largely through word-of-mouth over the past year.

He said that has meant going the extra mile to capitalize on an opportunity, like picking up a donated trailer in Pennsylvania and bringing it back to East Tennessee. It's also allowed MSS to be flexible.