KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Sherrie Stynchula lives in Nashville and works in the healthcare industry.
Stynchula said she was called by the Lord to drive from Nashville to communities affected by Hurricane Helene in East Tennessee, which she's done several times since Helene hit.
She said her calling is helping those in need through her Christian faith. That led her to found Team Jesus on the Streets, a street ministry engaging Nashville's residents with conversation, prayer and free Bibles.
When she spoke with WBIR, she said her efforts begin and end with that.
"First of all, I want to give glory to Jesus Christ our lord and savior, and thanks to him for using me to do what I do, because I couldn't do anything without him," she said.
She filled her car with bulk cleaning supplies, hygiene products, bibles, and 30 large zip lock bags she calls "Blessing Bags," then drove to Newport on Oct. 5.
Stynchula said she spoke to a woman at a gas station outside of town about where to set up, then found her way to downtown. She opened her trunk, laid out some of her supplies on the ground, and began to offer aid and conversation to anyone who stopped.
She said she was committed to her cause, but the stories she heard were heartbreaking.
"I heard so many stories -- people lost friends, lost loved ones, lost their homes," she said.
Stynchula said that hasn't deterred her. People took all of her Blessing Bags, and much of her other supplies, in Newport. After spending the night in Knoxville, she returned home to regroup.
She said she has visited Erwin, Johnson City and Greeneville over the past week. she took more supplies and tried to help in any way she could, which led her to volunteer at several churches. While the scenes and stories of Helene's destruction weighed on her, she returned home with a strong sense of community.
"That's what I got from it. Everybody coming together and loving on each other, and loving on people, no matter where they lived, or where they came from, or what's going on," she said.
She said she began visiting disaster zones in Florida while she lived there in 2019.
Stynchula said she plans to continue visiting East Tennessee, expand her efforts into North Carolina if possible, and, if called, will visit areas affected by Hurricane Milton.