ACTS volunteers: miracles in the mountains

From the plains of Indiana to the Tennessee mountains. Thirty-seven volunteers from Acknowledging Christ Through Service (ACTS), which operates collaboratively with Mennonite Disaster Service, are working in eastern Tennessee, building several new homes after Hurricane Helene swept through the area in September 2024.

The ACTS volunteers, most of them young men and women based in northern Indiana, towed tool trailers on winding mountain roads—a new experience for many of them.

As Josh Miller painted siding on a new home on Mountain City, Tennessee, he reflected on why he keeps coming back to volunteer. “It’s a blessing to help people, and to get to know the other volunteers,” he said.

Marcus Mast, on his third volunteer trip, agreed: “It’s good to meet new people and help people out,” he said. “And we’re not used to hills and curves like this on the roads!”

Volunteer Amy Hochstetler added: “I like meeting new people and learning new stuff.”

Verlin Miller, who has been working in Tennessee since May 1, said he appreciates the intergenerational experience ACTS offers. “Young people tell their friends they should come volunteer,” he said, “and it’s so good to have that.”