Celebrating Our Community: A Photo Gallery of Empowerment and Support

 My first visit to Rising Light Relief was during Thanksgiving. Upon my arrival it was clear that we had ALOT of work to get done. Cooking turkeys, making casseroles, prepping desserts for 570 people was no easy task! Knowing that everything needed to be cooked and prepped by 8AM Thanksgiving Day, I was determined to have everything completed and ready to go by 11PM. Well, 11PM came and went and before you know it I was slicing turkeys until 2AM just to get up at 4:30AM to start warming sides again. Coffee was flowing, laughs were shared and the chaos of Thanksgiving Day meal prep and deliver was underway. We were able to create assembly lines to get meals prepped and packed, loaded  them up in cars and delivered to 570 residents of the area. All of this was done within HOURS. Volunteer life at Rising Light Relief is fast paced, pivoting for individual needs of residents at any time, and you have to have the heart to SERVE. The rest of the weekend was a blur of more meal prepping, gift sorting, and Christmas Tree shopping to get Alyssa into the Christmas Spirit. If you're looking for a family like atmosphere to volunteer with, Rising Light Relief is the place for you. Late night dinners, laughs about how the day had gone and what the needs were for the next day all happened after 10PM each night. 

Fast forward to the Christmas Market. Cold weather, slippery driveways and muddy walkways didn't stop us from setting up 100s of gifts for the market, although the snow made it challenging! Lifting heavy boxes, running back and forth for what seemed to be hours, driving up and down the mountain countless times for more gifts and activities, all of it was done as a team and in love. Being able to see the 100s of families pick out gifts for their children and family members made all of it worth it. You will never feel more accomplished than finishing one of the beautifully chaotic events Alyssa plans for the community.  But, what goes up must come down and the break down from the event was wet, cold, slippery and FUN. You always find something to giggle about when you're with this group.  

Volunteering at Rising Light Relief will change your life forever. You will become part of the family and your heart will miss it and be ready to plan the next trip as soon as you leave.

 I was given the opportunity to serve in NC in December in honor of my daughter, Sydney.  What I thought was going to be about God using me as His hands and feet, turned into my blessing!

I arrived around 1030 pm from Indiana in my husband's truck (don’t suggest that unless you enjoy dark, curvy mountains without guard rails….my bad) Upon arrival via GPS, I honestly thought I was lost and going into the posted driveway, up the mountain, I was sure I heard fiddles playing in the background to my doom.  I immediately texted Alyssa after traversing the mountain climb and she rushed up to assure me that I was in the right place.  Alyssa has such a huge heart and love for her community.  She immediately made me feel at ease and I settled into the cabin, went up on the porch and enjoyed the peace and quiet and moon for a few moments and then hit the sack.

The next morning was all hands on deck!  I truly enjoyed my time volunteering, meeting the community and sharing God’s love.  From sorting totes, to filling supply orders, to packing and delivering food, to talking w/ the locals, to delivering wood, to cleaning up boxes/trash, to wading through mud and driving on semi-there roads, my experience was truly beautiful. I got to work with amazing volunteers and locals and meet and talk with people who had lost everything but encouraged me! I will never regret my decision to go and look forward to going back. Alyssa is truly inspiring and is giving to her community.  Please don’t delay- go be a part of this, you won’t be disappointed- you will be blessed beyond measure. Is it long day- yes; is it muddy/freezing- yes; is it chaotic at times- yes. But if you have a servant’s heart and hear the call of God- GO, SERVE, SHARE without delay.

 I had the pleasure of volunteering with Alyssa and her team with "Rising Light Relief" in North Carolina during Thanksgiving weekend.  God definitely led me to where I was supposed to be.  I arrived on Saturday morning and while busy, everyone was extremely welcoming.  Alyssa and her wonderful volunteers were organizing the day, delegating tasks, and the other women were also helping Alyssa get packed up so she could surprise her mom with a visit that day (and gift her a new rescue dog---she had been looking for one).  Initially I thought these women had known Alyssa for years as they seemed like sisters.  I then discovered that most of them had only recently met, but had become very close in a short time through the blessing of serving.  Within a few hours, I felt like I had found a new family. I had the privilege of getting gas for a family, delivering meals, and helping with organizing supplies at the property. That evening, the other women even worked on getting Christmas lights hung for Alyssa and arranged for one of them to stay with her dogs to allow her to stay overnight with her mom.  My heart was so warmed by how things just naturally ran and fell into place, even in the chaos and busyness and how these women (new friends) poured into Alyssa and her mission, as she and Rising Light have been pouring into those in need since the storm. Alyssa and her volunteers are working miracles and are serving those in greatest need on a daily basis.  The only downfall of my experience with Rising Light was having to leave that evening.  It was hard, and if I didn't have a family and my daughter back in Jacksonville, I would have cancelled work for a week and stayed longer. I will definitely be back to volunteer and hope to keep in contact with the others I met during my short time there indefinitely. I cannot wait to get back!  Serving with Alyssa and her team is one of the most rewarding and heartwarming opportunities I have been gifted with. If you're looking for a place to make a difference and want to serve, I highly recommend supporting Alyssa and Rising Light in any way you are able. Her goods, funds, and services are all going to the folks who need them most. I can promise you will fully enjoy your time there and there is no shortage of smiles and laughs throughout the days to help cushion the sadness and tears of what these people and communities are experiencing! Thank you Alyssa for all you have done and are continuing to do! 

 I came to North Carolina to help at rising light relief for a week in mid December 2024. I have traveled around as a nurse for disaster relief and saw that they weren’t sending any nurses but I still wanted to find some way to help. I found Alyssa on Facebook and decided this was the best fit for me Because I wanted to be in direct contact with those affected. I felt as though I would make the biggest difference actually going to homes of those affected, delivering hot meals, and assessing what their needs might be. These needs change Dailey and this is why it’s so important to actually go out to the homes and assess on a daily basis. I was able to help portion out the food, deliver meals, wrap gifts for the Christmas event, organize deliveries, organize supplies, talk to those affected by the storm, put up tents, secure tents, and much more! Rising light relief allows you to be involved in more than just one way! All of the volunteers were such a pleasure to work with! I felt comfortable right away and on night one I was able to use my OCD skills to help Rebekah organize the food shed and we had a blast! During my short time there, I know that I made friends for life and even though I know I was helping so many people, I feel as though I was blessed more than them! Alyssa’s determination and kindness continues to provide a light in a time of darkness! 

I have been helping with disaster relief efforts in Western North Carolina since the first week after the storm. The first few trips I floated about the area offering help to anyone I ran into in the immediate area. I came back to Ohio, and like many, I scanned local social media pages for ways to help and ways to get people connected to help. Before my third trip to WNC, I got connected with Alyssa through a Facebook post. I was excited to be connected to Rising Light Relief because Alyssa is helping the most vulnerable survivors of Hurricane Helene in her immediate and surrounding areas. I cannot think of a better way to spend my time than to help Alyssa and her neighbors recover and rebuild from an egregious natural disaster. Alyssa is getting things done and she has a great support team with plenty of room for more!

Duncan and I started delivering meals with Rising Light in mid October. Our first few deliveries were quite interesting. Navigating roads that collapsed into the Toe or Cane river with dump trucks coming and going was intense. It was pretty evident right from the start that Rising Light was a most welcome and needed service in and around the Burnsville, Bakersville area. The residents in those areas suffered unbelievable destruction. In mid October there was still a level of unbelief. Over time that changed to acceptance of the very long road ahead to recovery. In a time of such dismay, the arrival of a hot meal and a friendly face was quite welcome.

Alyssa has created a wonderful and much needed hub/service that I believe will be valuable to the community for a long time. 

 I chose to volunteer with Rising Light Relief after Helene devastated WNC, because these mountains have been a gift to myself and my family for many years, and in more ways than I can express. From the very first moment I pulled up to Alyssa’s home, I knew I had found the right place for me!! They say like minded people gravitate towards one another and I’m a strong believer that good people attract good people. That couldn’t have been proven more true than through my multiple experiences at RLR! 

Alyssa’s intentions and genuine care and concern have been consistently displayed over the last 3 months I’ve been volunteering and her intentions are obvious through her actions. That's the kind of leader I want to follow, and the kind of organization I want to contribute toward! 


Each time I’ve volunteered with Rising Light Relief has been a unique experience, full of belly laughs, tears of joy and sometimes sorrow and so many learning experiences. I come with an open mind and open schedule, available and willing to work long hours and pivot on a dime as needs arise based on the unpredictability of Mother Nature and humanity. I have ALWAYS left feeling better than when arrived and like I truly made a difference!  One thing I really like about Rising Light, is that there are opportunities for everyone to contribute their time and skills in ways they are comfortable with and for whatever duration they desire! I have met some of my new closest friends and had some truly life changing experiences volunteering with Alyssa, and once again, these mountains have given to me, far more than I can ever hope to give back!