When Hurricane Helene devastated parts of North Carolina, Stephanie Ellis couldn’t look away. She watched as floodwaters swallowed homes, sweeping away not just possessions but entire lives. The true impact of the storm struck her in an unexpected way—a doorknob, stuck in a bridge, amidst the wreckage.
"That’s when it hit me—people were losing their everything," Ellis said. "Families, hopes, and dreams were gone in an instant. I couldn’t just sit back and watch. The sight of that doorknob just got to me."
Ellis lost power for nearly two weeks, but she kept finding ways to check on the devastation in North Carolina. Though her own home in Tennessee had received minimal damage, less than an hour away, entire communities were left in ruin.
A Calling to Serve
Before discussing the relief efforts, Ellis reflected on what she believes to be a fundamental truth: "God sends helpers." This belief set the tone for what would become a defining mission for her in the months ahead.
"In every disaster, in every tragedy, God sends people to help. That’s how He works," Ellis said. "Sometimes, it’s you He’s sending. Sometimes, you’re the one who’s supposed to show up, and you don’t even realize it until you’re there."
As relief efforts began, Ellis felt compelled to act. She hosts a Tuesday night small group for women, and one evening, she shared her decision. "I just said, ‘Let’s get some stuff together. I’m gonna go,’" she recalled.
With a van packed full of water, baby supplies, food, and other necessities, she set out alone for her first trip. She volunteered with Generation Church in Swannanoa, where she encountered lines of people waiting for aid before the distribution center had even opened.
"People of all walks of life—different races, different ages—but their commonality was need," she said. "And on the other side, people from bank jobs to factory jobs had been brought by the Lord to help. I so enjoyed serving God's people that day; it brought me so much joy. I knew I was doing exactly what He called me to do."
Leaving was difficult. "The devastation, it’s like you’re going down 140, and you get off the ramp, and the devastation was unbelievable," she said. "Cars turned upside down in yards, houses that didn’t belong there floated down. Words can’t do justice to what I saw. You see it on the news, but standing there in the middle of it, the weight of it is so much heavier."
The experience stayed with her. Back home, she shared what she had seen with her two youngest boys, ages 15 and 12. "I was telling them, you just never know what is going to be in your path, what you’re going to face in life," Ellis said. "But I remember telling them, ‘God always sends helpers. You just never know what is going to be in your path, what you're going to face in life,’ but I remember telling them that in the midst of that tragedy, I saw God’s hands."
She knew she had to return.
Six Trips and Counting
Three weeks later, Ellis went back—this time with a group of women. They removed the seats from the van, packed it to capacity, and set out again. "I just kept going back. I felt led to serve. Even in the midst of what we have going on," she said.
“But imagine standing in your town, and you’re looking around, and you have nothing, and everyone around you also has nothing. Before this storm, it could have been hard, but they were making it. But the storm came, and now you can’t even just get by. There’s no more paycheck-to-paycheck. Because the jobs are gone. Houses are condemned. No way to get to the town over if your kid is sick.”
“These people were literally at the mercy of whatever relief they could get,” she shared.
Ellis described the scene at an Ingles parking lot three weeks after the storm. "Lines of people showed up there to serve; residents could drive down the line, and people would load up their cars," she recalled. Volunteers included the National Guard, a local First Baptist Church group, and Samaritan’s Purse, a ministry led by Franklin Graham, which provided mobile showers and laundry services.
Ellis stated that FEMA’s presence was minimal. "There was an RV with a picnic table, and there was a little sign that said FEMA, and that was all. That was their presence there for months. I know because I was there. They weren’t getting help from agencies; it was just regular people who understood the need and showed up."
The work is far from over, in Ellis’s perspective, sharing that many are still in critical need.
On her most recent trip—her sixth—her entire Sunday school class at Fletcher Memorial Baptist Church joined in. They brought 137 new jackets, 50 sets of hats and gloves, laundry detergent, flashlights, food, and other necessities. This time, the donations filled a fully enclosed trailer. Ellis’s boys were with her for this trip. “My kids were with me, loading up propane. This was an opportunity for my kids to see that some of the best work you'll ever do is serving others.”
A Shift in Perspective
Through these experiences, Ellis’s understanding of service has evolved. "This has completely changed my heart," she said. "I don’t need a passport to be a missionary. There’s so much to do right here."
She encourages others to look beyond their own immediate world. "There’s always need, and it’s easy to overlook in the busyness of life," Ellis said. "We want to build our retirements or give to our local church, and there’s always things we want to pour ourselves into. But for me, the turning point really was that doorknob and the revelation of what that actually meant. Someone’s entire life was destroyed in an instant."
In the morning, Ellis prays: "God, take me where You want me to be and show me what You want me to see. I want to have His heart and see people’s needs. I don’t want to be in my box anymore."
Her mission is ongoing. She remains committed to answering the call, whether it’s in North Carolina, Kentucky, or even right in her own backyard in Brooklet. "If we as a people get out of our boxes and look around at our community to see how we can help, God will give us the opportunities," she said.
And for Ellis, the question is no longer, "Should I go?" but rather, "Who can I serve next?"
