Recover.

Hurricane Helene devastated much of Western North Carolina, other parts of NC and neighboring states of Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina and Florida. The mountains were hit hardest, with severe flooding and landslides, leaving many communities in ruin. The restoration has only just begun.

HELP IS STILL NEEDED

Restoring Communication in Crisis

When Hurricane Helene struck Western North Carolina, entire communities were left without power, cell service, or the ability to call for help. The Love & Life Foundation immediately partnered with Medic Corps to assess needs on the ground and begin coordinating relief.

Very quickly, it became clear that one of the most urgent needs wasn’t just food or supplies — it was communication.

To reconnect families, first responders, and rescue teams, we reached out to SpaceX. Within 30 minutes, SpaceX committed to donating Starlink satellite internet systems to support response efforts. That initial offer grew from 12 units to over 300 Starlink systems, all with three months of free service.

Our team deployed Starlink units across Western North Carolina. The first installation was at a community center near Boone, where residents were finally able to contact loved ones for the first time since the storm. Emergency teams — EMS, fire, police, and volunteer rescue crews — also received units to coordinate rescue routes and supply distribution.

Communication saves lives — and in this disaster, connection became hope — and together with our partnerships, we helped bring it back. The Love & Life Foundation remains committed to long-term recovery and support for affected communities.

HELICOPTERS
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2 (4) person helicopter search and rescue teams using R66 and Enstum 480, high altitude trained pilots
SEMIS
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40 City Serve semi trucks with water, non-perishable food, generators and other emergency goods in Aiken, SC at their distribution center
RESCUE TEAMS
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2 (4) person ground based search and rescue teams (former Special Forces), all medically trained

VOLUNTEERS
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CityServe organized over 1,000 mobilized volunteers who worked over 67,000 hours on tasks like debris removal and rebuilding in areas like Chimney Rock.
HUBS
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3 resource centers for food, water, and Starlink communication with a 16 unit sleeper trailer in Chimney Rock

STARLINKS
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Starlinks donated by SpaceX, coupled with solar generators allowed for communication to all the Hubs as well as the “Spokes” as we fly in to remote communities with water/food
WAREHOUSE
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Greenville, SC distribution center/relay; as we drop in to remote areas, we dropped off search and rescue teams to get to difficult to access areas
PRIVATE HELICOPTERS
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Coordinating a network of other private helicopters operating today

OCTOBER 2025

Wideman, founder of the Love and Light Foundation and CEO of the Wideman Company, coordinated aircraft logistics for the evacuations of more than 1,400 residents from the Southeast Bahamas as Hurricane Melissa bore down on the region. His foundation and their partners are now providing post-storm relief for Jamaica, delivering Starlink units and other power supplies.

The Tribune / Read Full Article

The Impact

  • 300+ Starlink systems deployed
  • Thousands of residents reconnected with family
  • First responders regained reliable communication
  • Search, rescue, and supply coordination accelerated
  • Hurricane Helene recovery continues — and we’re here for the long haul.

 

Our Projects

With both the frequency and intensity of natural disasters on the rise around the globe, there’s an urgent need for organizations like ours to respond and help impacted communities recover. With your help, when a natural disaster strikes, we’ll arrive early and stay late to address the immediate and long-term needs of affected communities. Please join us with a partnership or interest to volunteer.

Communication

The deployment of Starlink communication pads via the collaborative disaster response efforts of the Love and Life Foundation, Medic Corps & SpaceX have yielded an extraordinarily positive impact in disaster response scenarios.

Restoration

What started as an initial drop off of supplies has turned into a large scale operation to rebuild these broken communities from the ground up with continued relief, temporary housing, communication / power and spiritual support.​

Housing

Mobilizing shelter via Shiftpods was the fundamental focus of our original Love & Life Foundation missions. With 750 donated, we were able to house over 5,000 people. Our goal is to see no family or individual without shelter or a temporary home.