How Dolly's philanthropy went the distance after Helene

Dolly Parton's legacy is colored by an amalgamation of philanthropy — including contributions for Tennessee communities to recover from Hurricane Helene. In the days after the fatal storm, Parton announced she was making a personal $1 million donation toward recovery efforts and another $1 million donation from her affiliated companies. Parton ended up donating another million — totaling $3 million for immediate needs after the flood and other local needs. In the end, Mountain Ways, the nonprofit which administered the aid, amassed more than $7 million for individuals and families trying to recover from Helene. Grants of $5,000 were distributed to help people make ends meet, whether that's buying food, new clothes or making sure bills are paid. "We did what we said we were gonna do, and Dolly was so impactful in making that happen… she really was the jump start of our fundraising after that," said Lori Moore, executive director at Mountain Ways. "The majority of the donations came in after Dolly made her announcement, for sure." That help came in at a crucial time after a disaster, when other resources can be in flux as groups mobilize for recovery efforts. Some financial resources can take days to months to secure, if at all. "Mountain Ways was a great help to a lot of families in Unicoi County and East Tennessee after Helene hit," said Jimmy Erwin, director of the Unicoi County Emergency Management Agency. "They were giving money and things to help people restart on their houses and just their life." Unicoi County Search and Rescue Team and Unicoi County Emergency Medical Services also received aid, which Erwin said was "very vital" in the rebuilding process. All Tennessee counties affected by Helene received Mountain Ways aid. After grants were dispersed to individuals and families, the organization worked with counties to help with their needs after the storm. Unicoi County lost three ambulance vehicles in the flood, which Mayor Garland Evely described as "life-changing." An ambulance can run up to multiple hundreds of thousands of dollars, not including supplies it needs to be equipped with, like $30,000 to $40,000 cots. In a county like Unicoi County, ambulance services are vital, especially after the county hospital's destruction in the same flood. About 60% of Unicoi County ambulance transports went to the Unicoi County Hospital, Evely said. Without it, patients are being transported miles away to Johnson City and Elizabethton, so rebuilding the county's ambulance services has been crucial. Mountain Ways gave $212,000 to Unicoi County, which will help them resupply ambulances with equipment. It wasn't just funding that made a tangible difference after the storm, it was the spirit that came with it. Moore said the organization's lives by giving back and loving your neighbor — and Northeast Tennessee residents felt that. "[Mountain Ways] shared stories, how Dolly was so passionate about this foundation," Erwin said. "The people that we talked with and dealt with, were just so down to earth and so nice. It's just hard to believe, you know, total strangers, but by the time you left, they felt like family. That's what I remember." Jorgelina Manna-Rea is a Report for America corps member reporting on issues relating to the environment for Six Rivers Media.