One Morning, A Call From God Sent Wes On A Yearlong Journey To Help Families Recover

A ten-year milestone on WHKP sets the stage for a conversation that hits straight at the heart of service, community, and what it means to keep showing up when the cameras leave. We sit down with Hometown Hero Wes Hardin, a retired farmer and operator who woke up one September morning with a clear conviction: pack the trucks, load the gear, and go wherever help is needed. From East Tennessee to Western North Carolina, then into South Carolina, Kentucky, and West Virginia, Wes and his partners—most notably Jake from Helene Rising—have spent more than a year clearing roads, rebuilding bridges, gutting waterlogged floors, and reconnecting families to essential care.Wes shares the kind of story you don’t forget: arriving in War, West Virginia after floods severed access to an elderly man on hospice. With a washed-out bridge and a river that jumped its banks, the crew pushed through predawn, cutting a new path so family, church, and hospice could reach him in time. Starlink brought distant children and grandkids into the room. He passed peacefully the next morning—seen, heard, and held by his people. That’s the promise of real recovery work: not just lumber and machines, but dignity and closure when it matters most.We dig into the practical realities too. Fall brings a steadier housing market in Henderson County, with slightly more inventory and ongoing demand from relocations. But the bigger headline is the long road ahead across Appalachia: temporary campers break down, and permanent housing is the real endgame. Organizations like Helene Rising, Appalachian United Initiative, Samaritan’s Purse, United Way, God’s Warehouse, and the United Cajun Navy form the backbone that keeps crews supplied and projects moving. If you’ve been waiting for a sign to pitch in, this is it—volunteer time, donate materials, or spread the word that recovery is not done.Subscribe for more stories that shine light on the people doing the hard work, share this episode with a friend who could help, and leave a review so others can find these voices. Your attention, your network, and your hands can change what’s possible for families still waiting to come home.