ARDEN, N.C. — In separate trips to western North Carolina in recent days, Gov. Roy Cooper and U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis encouraged N.C. Baptist volunteers serving at Biltmore Church’s Arden campus, which is one of several churches in the region that has become a distribution center serving area residents impacted by Hurricane Helene.

Cooper visited with volunteers and church leaders on Monday as part of a tour of damaged areas, which also included stops at a local hospital and area businesses that are providing support to the community.

“We definitely appreciate Gov. Cooper and Sen. Tillis coming by,” said Bruce Frank, Biltmore Church’s lead pastor. “They were very complimentary of what was going on here.”

On Monday and Tuesday, Biltmore Church’s Arden campus distributed food, water and ice to area residents. Church officials estimated that approximately 3,000 cars had come through in each of the past two days. The church is posting regular updates about its distribution plans on its Facebook page.

Frank said churches from across North Carolina and other states are also shipping food, water and hygiene products to the church, which are being distributed to those coming onto campus as well as to those in the community who cannot make it to the campus.

In addition, N.C. Baptists on Mission has set up a recovery and feeding operation at the church.

“What we’re trying to do is hit the urgent needs,” Frank said.

Frank said many grocery stores in the area remain closed and without power, so finding even basic essentials is difficult.

In conversations with Cooper and Tillis, Frank said he shared some of what he felt were some of the region’s biggest needs and thanked them for their help.

“We appreciate all their efforts,” Frank said. “I know they’re doing the best they can.”

Franks is also supporting local relief efforts in other ways. Some of the church’s other campuses are serving as staging centers and bases of operations for organizations like the National Guard, the N.C. Department of Transportation, Duke Energy and other relief organizations.

“It’s getting better every day but it’s slow,” Frank said. “There are baby steps being taken, and there will be multiple phases in this recovery.”

Citing Psalm 34:18, which says, “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit,” Frank said he’s been amazed to see how God is at work amid the destruction and difficulty caused by Helene.

“The Lord is already redeeming a lot of it,” Frank said. “In the midst of the tragedy, God’s people are stepping up in some real visible ways.”