BRISTOL, Tenn. — Months after Hurricane Helene hit East Tennessee, Bristol Motor Speedway is still buzzing with volunteers helping communities recover from the storm. Leaders said the work could wrap up in January after people across the region descended on the site to give donations and volunteer their time to help people pick up the pieces.
Brian Delp said he has volunteered at the Northeast Tennessee Disaster Relief Center since the start of recovery operations and has seen teams work together to help people.
"Hurricane Helene left scars on East Tennessee that can't simply be fixed, but here at the Northeast Tennessee Disaster Relief Center, I'm hearing from people the memories they're making helping people recover from Helene are even deeper," he said. "We've probably had 5,000 volunteer hours, at least, of people that's come in from all over. We usually have 4-hour shifts — a morning shift and an afternoon shift and a lot of our volunteers stay the whole 8 hours."
He and his wife, Amanda Delp, left their home in Erwin to help manage the relief center. They experienced loss themselves, but still joined other volunteers, National Guard members and even a group of Amish men from Pennsylvania to process donations.
He said the center averages around 200 pallets of donations per day. He also estimated the center sent out up to $50 million worth of supplies — just from the Northeast Tennessee Disaster Relief Center.
For most of the time since it's been open, the relief center has welcomed people six days a week. Brian also said donations peaked in November when supplies were packed up to the ceiling.
"When we first started, we had as many as eight to ten tractor-trailers lined up to donate stuff," he said. "This has been the enjoyable, or not enjoyable, but the most heartwarming thing I've ever done. I think God put us all here for a reason."
The center is closed for the holidays but is expected to reopen on Jan. 6.