Sigs Spend Spring Break Helping Hurricane Victims

Six Delta Delta brothers led by Nathan Blied ’27 spent their spring break (March 15 thru March 21, 2025) on a mission trip to Elizabethton, TN to take part in the ongoing clean up and support of last September’s victims of Hurricane Helene.  The Sigs who took part were Andrew Carpinellla ’26, Nathan Blied ‘27, Mitchell Rittman ’26, James Neff ‘26, Andrew Folkers ‘26 and Bryce Gray ’27.

Sigs on a Mission: Bryce Gray ‘27, Andrew Folkers ‘26, Mitchell Rittman ‘26, James Neff ‘26, Nathan Blied ‘27, and Andrew Carpinella ’26.

This trip was organized by Praying Pelican Missions to serve in areas damaged by this hurricane. Praying Pelican Missions expects to be working in this area for the next two years to repair the damage.

As the brothers neared Elizabethton, Nathan noted, “Heading into the area, we did not know what to expect when it came to hurricane damage, the people we would encounter, or the work we would be doing. We were all hopeful that we would be able to make a positive impact during our stay.”

A First Look at the Hurricane’s Destruction

Arriving in Tennessee, the effects of the hurricane were still visible. Some areas had been cleaned while other areas were still littered with trash. In places, lawns were covered in several feet of rock from the mudslides, and it was not uncommon to see mounds of trash outside of houses. Most homes in the flood zones had to be completely gutted and the interiors rebuilt. The damage caused by this hurricane was unique mainly due to the fact that a hurricane had never landed in an area like this before. Elizabethton and the surrounding towns the Sigs worked in all sat in mountain valleys. The large amount of rain from the hurricane caused the sides of the mountains to wash out leading to large mudslides. These mudslides washed away entire homes, covered areas in feet of mud, and took people with them. The brothers heard stories of people who had lost loved ones in these mud slides, some of them were never found.

Working Together Was Amazing

Sigs preparing to add siding to this house.

Nathan reported, “Our work for the week was to place siding on a house that was being donated to an individual in a wheelchair who had lost his home and parents in the storm. The construction of this house was being funded and organized by a church from Kentucky which sat on the border with West Virginia. We were partnered with two members of the church, Smokey and Ray, who came to the area multiple times a month to help and had recently joined the team building this house. It was truly remarkable to see how this house could be built with volunteers coming and going with very little oversight. This seemed fairly common in the area as churches from all over the Appalachian region were doing similar projects. In addition to the siding project, we also cleaned trash from a gutted house and volunteered at a housing center in Johnson City, TN.”

Experiencing the people and sense of community while on the mission trip was a truly eye-opening experience for the Sigs. Over the course of the week, they met many God-fearing individuals who had dedicated their life to Christ and were making an impact in their communities. Smokey and Ray were a great example. While they were both still working full-time, they each spent two nights a week for the past five years helping individuals struggling with addiction (a very large problem in the region). Because of their ministry 270 individuals have been baptized and joined the church, some even becoming pastors. Along with stories like this, the brothers experienced the generosity of the locals. Every day they received a donated meal and individuals who they volunteered with invited them out to restaurants, on hikes, and even took them caving.

Sharing the Experience as Brothers

Having the chance to explore the area. These Sigs did a little spelunking. L-R: Andrew Carpinellla ‘26, Nathan Blied ‘27, Mitchell Rittman ‘26, James Neff ‘26, and Andrew Folkers ’26.

Again Nathan stated, “Sharing this experience as brothers truly was the best way we could have spent our spring break. Although we came to the area to make an impact on others, the people we met made just as large of an impact on us. The experiences we had this week, not only strengthened our bonds with each other, but grew our faith and gave us a sense of the importance of how we spend our time. In addition, we are able to share our experiences with the rest of the chapter and hopefully make an impact on them as well. This trip and the experiences on it make me hopeful for the future of faith and mission trips within Delta Delta.”

The Sigs on the mission trip would like to thank several members of the Class of ’95 and ‘96 for covering the $2700 cost for this trip. It meant a great deal to the undergrads to see how our alumni are so willing to help out.  Brian Schultz ’96 wrote, “Well done, good and faithful brothers. I look forward to what God has in store next year and I hope to be a part of it.”