In response to a once-in-a-lifetime hurricane that devastated much of western North Carolina in late September, North Carolina Baptists and Baptists on Mission are partnering with churches and community leaders to launch a new emphasis aimed at putting 1,000 families back into their homes as quickly as possible.
Called the Essential Rapid Repairs (ERR) program, this new emphasis seeks to assist western North Carolina families who have been displaced from their homes by making the repairs necessary to bring them back into their houses in a timely manner. According to Richard Brunson, executive director-treasurer for Baptists on Mission, the ERR program is not designed to provide finished homes for residents immediately, but it will allow families to return to a safe and warm environment before winter approaches.
“We want to get them into a home that’s safe, secure, functional,” Brunson said.
Volunteers will come back at a later time to complete long-term repairs.
The program was developed in recent weeks to address the destruction caused by Hurricane Helene, which swept through the southeastern United States on Sept. 26-29. The storm caused unprecedented levels of damage in western North Carolina after leaving an estimated 100,000 homes destroyed or in disrepair. Without secure living conditions, people have reported sleeping in cars, garages and tents in the aftermath of the storm.
With the onset of winter quickly approaching, N.C. Baptists and Baptists on Mission leaders have said that they aim to get people back into their homes “as soon as possible.”
“There were so many homes affected by Helene, and winters are brutal in the west,” Brunson said. “Our goal is 500 to 1,000 families back in their homes before the worst of winter.”
Houses approved for the program will undergo essential renovations — including flooring, plumbing, HVAC and wiring — and will be equipped with new appliances, depending on the needs of the home. Baptists on Mission leaders anticipate that essential repairs for each home can be completed within a 10-day period, giving residents the ability to move into a safe home quickly as they await further rebuilding in the months to come.
After completing repairs for the ERR’s pilot home last week, Baptists on Mission volunteers have begun ERR assignments in several counties across western North Carolina since the beginning of this week. Brunson said that Baptists on Mission hopes to expand ERR projects to eight sites across the western part of the state.
“Once (these sites) really get going, we think we can do 10 houses at a time at each site,” Brunson said. “That would be 80 houses a week.”
With an estimated cost of $10,000-$20,000 per 1,000-square-foot home, Brunson said that these ERR projects will require generous contributions from individuals, businesses and churches across the state and beyond. Baptists on Mission is additionally seeking licensed electricians, plumbers and other workers willing to volunteer their time to help offset the costs of repairs.
Already, local businesses in western North Carolina are supporting the ERR effort and responding to the community’s needs. After learning of the emphasis from N.C. Baptists, Chris Ashe, president and owner of Pisgah Plumbing and Electric in Candler, N.C., said his company would contribute $50,000 toward the ERR program, in addition to sending an electrical crew to assist in the efforts.
“You drive by and see people living in tents, and I just couldn’t imagine that for my wife or my kids,” Ashe said. “Anything I can do to help get somebody in a better situation — we want to do that.”
Ashe said he is encouraging other business owners to consider supporting the ERR program in any way they can.
“We’re called to give back to people that are in need,” Ashe said. “If we can go out and help somebody financially, or be there to move in stoves and refrigerators and do whatever we need to do — you know that’s what we’re called to do.”
Anyone interested in contributing to the ERR program can visit baptistsonmission.org/helene to learn more.
With a projected rebuilding timeline of four to six years, N.C. Baptists and Baptists on Mission leaders are urging churches, businesses and community leaders to pledge ongoing support, both in the ERR stage and in the seasons to come.
“Please continue to pray, to give and to go — and especially to go,” Brunson said.
