CHARLOTTE, N.C. — More than 100 homeless veterans were living at the Veterans Restoration Quarters outside of Asheville when Helene made landfall in western North Carolina.

Veterans there describe the devastation to the area as a "war zone."

Tim McElyea, an Army combat veteran and chief administrator for the Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry, which oversees the VRQ, described the devastation in the same way. 

What You Need To Know

  • ABCCM's Veterans Restoration Quarters provides housing for homeless veterans while also providing them with resources, education and pathways that lead to housing and employment

  • The VRQ suffered damages from Helene, leading to the evacuation of 136 homeless veterans 

  • The participating veterans in the program are now being provided shelter at the Quality Inn, located roughly one mile from their former facility

  • ABCCM leaders hope to make repairs to the VRQ and return there by Veteran's Day 2025

“It looks like things that I saw when I was in war. Just the level of destruction and that kind of stuff, it’s really, it’s tough,” McElyea said. 

McElyea was deployed during the Persian Gulf War and has dedicated his life to helping other American heroes facing homelessness as they transition out of the military.

McElyea said 136 homeless veterans were living at the VRQ on Sept. 27 when Helene ripped through the area. A bridge just outside of their facility was destroyed. 

“Yeah, the bridge got taken out during the storm. Crews are working to get it put back together right now,” McElyea said. 

McElyea said when the storm hit, it was important to evacuate the veterans to safety. The men were divided and sent to three evacuation sites, which included A-B Tech, WNC Agricultural Center and a church in Mars Hill. After a short stay there, McElyea said it was always the mission of program leaders to bring the community of veterans back together. 

“When it came time to get the veterans over here at the Quality Inn, all of them were like, 'yes, we want to go, yes, we want to be together,'” McElyea said. 

McElyea says ABCCM was able to partner with the Quality Inn, which is located across the bridge that was destroyed from Helene. The sign of the VRQ can be seen from the hotel, but it's inaccessible and unlivable due to the destruction. McElyea is pleased to see the veterans come together, but he knows from even his military background that some of the devastation can become triggering to those with combat experience. 

“It brings back a lot of memories when you walk through this and stuff, and some of those are certainly triggering memories, so we’re acutely aware of that, and the guys that we work with here we’re meeting with them two to three times a day to make sure mental health-wise everybody’s doing OK. They have what they need,” McElyea said. 

McElyea said his team is actively assessing damages at their former facility and have set a goal to return there by Veteran's Day next year. The program is now operating as normal from the Quality Inn, providing homeless veterans with stability, education, training and opportunities that lead to future employment and housing.