They Came Because We Needed Them: Come Meet the Amish Volunteers Helping to Rebuild Johnson County.

Acknowledging Christ Through Service (ACTS) is an Amish service team operating in collaboration with Mennonite Disaster Services, and they arrived in Johnson County in May to rebuild and repair homes that had been destroyed or damaged by Hurricane Helene. 

They came from Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, and Pennsylvania. They came in trucks and vans, with equipment, and shower trailers, because they were going to be here for awhile. They range in age from 13 to 24, and they came for one reason: because we needed them.

On Friday, August 28, a dedication will be held for the first home completed. Raymond Forrester’s family home was rendered unlivable after the storm. The water ruined everything, the mold was at dangerous levels. There was no power. There was no water. And yet somehow, he struggled to remain in the house in which he was born, even as, just yesterday, his chest of drawers fell through the rotting floorboards. Until now. ACTS has built Raymond a brand new, two bedroom, one bath house, just up the hill from where he lived. With the help of Samaritan’s Purse, Raymond has all new appliances, furnishings, and a brand new heat pump. And ACTS is just getting started.

Becky Wright stands in front of a white board. On it is a list of 20 Johnson County Homes. 20 families who have been displaced, their lives uprooted. When ACTS heard about it, they didn’t hesitate. And now they are here. 

Or, not quite here. Even though they came to build homes for Johnson County; Johnson County could not provide a home for them, and so, every day, they drive their five trucks and three vans on the winding road around the lake from Hampton, to continue their work here. 

Wright, the director of Johnson County Long Term Recovery estimates that the lack of accommodation for the group from ACTS is costing the group between $8,000 and $9,000 per week in lost hours, fuel, and wear and tear on their vehicles, and she is very aware that the volunteers have to answer for this to the board back home.

So, she’s been working overtime to find a place for them to stay, here in Johnson County, where they are doing all their work.

“I beat on every church door, every business, every open building,” she says. “Winter is coming, and driving around the lake, with the weather, we’re going to lose even more hours.”

She is still actively seeking a housing solution for the group.

“It’s not possible to scatter them around the county,” Wright says. “They are a community. They come together every morning in fellowship, in prayer. And when they come back they have a meal and more fellowship and prayer together.”

The group reviews the day just past, and plans the day to come. They cannot do that if they are scattered among different locations.

Parking is also a consideration. The group has four RV’s for their non-Amish drivers to live in, plus five trucks, three vans, and two shower trailers. Additionally, many of the volunteers are kids, who want to be together, and to have space to be outside, to play volleyball, and burn off steam.

“All of those options that have been mentioned on that Facebook post have been exhausted,” Wright said. “We tried all that.” 

She also points out that Johnson County did not receive the $2,000,000.00 grant from the state of Tennessee, so the donations and volunteers are even more critical to us. She goes on to say that unlike other volunteers, the ACTS volunteers are also highly skilled, providing a level of work and efficiency not widely available. 

She encourages everyone to come and meet them at the dedication of the new Forrester House. The dedication will be held on Friday, August 28 at 1 p.m. at 894 Forrester Hollow Road. 

“We should welcome them with open arms,” she says. “They are stepping up and stepping in where no other volunteer will.”