An organization founded to help Sevier County residents recover after the 2016 wildfires says it has completed its mission.
The Mountain Tough Recovery Team has helped hundreds of people who applied for assistance. As of September, the group said out of the 600 people who registered, 70 percent met the criteria and received some type of help or have been identified as 'recovered.'
The recovery team assisted people on a case by case basis, helping out with things like cleanup, home rebuilding and more.
With the assistance of Dolly Parton's My People Fund and the Mountain Tough Recovery Team, more than $12.5 million in wildfire aide was handed out.
That doesn't mean there's not help available for those who still need help.
According to a statement posted on the organization's website, "During the process of resolving the remaining open cases, we identified some additional ongoing needs that were still present within the community. As a result, the Dollywood Foundation’s My People Fund will continue to provide ongoing financial assistance to three additional organizations to help fulfill these needs."
Those organizations are:
Smoky Mountain Area Rescue Ministries (SMARM) 865-908-3453: Can help with continuing case management needs such as financial assistance for utilities and rent.
Helen Ross McNabb 865-429-0557: For continuing mental health needs, please reach out to
Sevier County Food Ministries 865-428-5182: Can help with assistance with food items in Gatlinburg