08/26/2026
https://www.facebook.com/feministnews.us/posts/pfbid0bv9KHhGBZVgf1JLhH9ekg9RCs1NU9CHWK4nnHmAvG4oGQJv7VQ5xQiXLy9eLrvktl
When there were people in need, Dolly Parton didn’t just send “thoughts and prayers.”
In November 2016, a fast-moving wildfire tore through Gatlinburg and surrounding communities in eastern Tennessee. Fourteen people died, thousands of buildings were damaged or destroyed, and hundreds of households suddenly had nowhere to live.
Dolly grew up in Sevier County, the heart of the disaster zone.
Within days, her Dollywood Foundation created the My People Fund to get immediate financial assistance directly into the hands of local residents.
The program distributed monthly payments to families whose primary residences had been destroyed. Homeowners and renters qualified.
Recipients set their own priorities, giving each household the freedom to cover whatever recovery required: temporary housing, groceries, clothing, transportation, bills or the first steps toward rebuilding.
As donations poured in, the foundation increased the final payment to $5,000. Each participating household ultimately received a total of $10,000, with millions of dollars reaching families across the region.
A later University of Tennessee study found that the recurring payments helped recipients return to their previous level of financial stability and strengthened their ability to save for future emergencies.
The fund’s direct-cash model later helped inspire the relief program Oprah Winfrey and Dwayne Johnson launched after the Maui wildfires.
Dolly’s approach carried a simple message: people living through disaster understand their own needs. Give them resources, dignity and room to make decisions for their families.
Dolly understood that. We’ll miss her so much.
