JEFF TURNER

In the wake of Hurricane Helene, the bluegrass gospel group Chosen Road found themselves faced with the question: How can we help? For founding members Jonathan Buckner and Zachary Alvis, along with fellow band members Tyler Robertson, Bradly Parsons, and Chris Stockwell, the decision to act felt as natural as their connection to the music and people of Appalachia. Watching friends and neighbors impacted by the storm, they felt a strong call to assist those in need.

Buckner, one of the band’s founding members, recalls the conversation that sparked their relief efforts: “We thought, what can we do to make a difference? We’ve got to do something. If it wasn’t for Western North Carolina and East Tennessee, the kind of music that we play wouldn’t even exist. And the people of those regions have literally fed our family for 15 years.” With the devastation close to home and a deep sense of gratitude for the communities that had supported their music over the years, Chosen Road embarked on a mission to give back.

The idea initially started small. Buckner explains, “We started talking on the bus, and we said, well, we could just stop on the way back from Nashville… fill the bus up with supplies, drop it off on our way in.” What began as a modest goal quickly transformed into something much bigger. With a single social media post, they invited fans and friends to contribute. Within 24 hours, they had raised approximately $15,000—enough to fill not only the bus but also a trailer with essential supplies.

“We delivered those Tuesday morning at 5:45,” Buckner recounts. “We pulled up in Carter County, Tennessee, to Happy Valley High School. Standing outside were about 30 high school students and teachers who had been waiting on us to get there since 2:30 that morning. They were just crying tears of joy, and we were crying because we were just overwhelmed by what we had just seen God do.”

From that initial delivery, their efforts grew into a grassroots movement that has since mobilized aid across the country. Their commitment inspired others to take action, with individuals and organizations from various states sending tractor-trailers full of supplies. “People we haven’t even known have reached out,” Buckner says. “We’ve been able to deliver literally thousands and thousands of pounds of supplies—food, cleaning supplies, water. It’s just been amazing to watch God work through this whole thing, and we’re just so thankful that He allowed us to be a part of it.”

For Chosen Road, the music has always been about community and faith. Through this journey, they’ve shown how those same values can extend beyond the stage, uniting people to care for one another in the face of hardship.