BANNER ELK, N.C. — For the first time since Helene, country music star Eric Church returned to his North Carolina home in Banner Elk to survey damage along with Gov. Roy Cooper.

What You Need To Know

  • Country music star Eric Church returned to his North Carolina home in Banner Elk Thursday

  • Along with Gov. Roy Cooper, Church spoke to community members about what they need following Helene and surveyed the damage

  • Church has pledged to build 100 homes in Avery County following the storm with his foundation Chief Cares and the help of Clayton Homes 

  • Currently, his team is looking for land to acquire to build the homes

“It's devastating in a lot of areas,” Church said. “There's a lot of people that see the need, and I see the need for a lot of help. It was remarkable to me to see what the power of the water can do.”

For Church, restoring western North Carolina isn’t just a mission of goodwill. It’s a personal goal.

“I wrote every album of my career, but one, in Avery County. I've been right here,” Church said. “So, creatively, it's been real special to me. But spiritually, it's the place that my soul's at rest. It's the place that I get away from what I do in the world to come here and recharge. So it's the most special place in the world to me, the mountains of this area.”

Even though his own mountain community is struggling, throughout the day he was beaming with pride, seeing what his neighbors have accomplished. 

“The sense of community here. I know how strong that is because I've been a part of it,” Church said.

As for his commitment to build 100 homes in Avery County, Church said that effort is already underway.

“We're going to partner with Clayton Homes,” Church said. “Once we deliver the land to them, they'll put 100 homes in Avery County in 100 days.”

He said his team will be in the area next week scouting for land. But in the meantime, he’ll continue to do his part to bring awareness. 

“That's part of my job with what I do,” Church said. “I can continue at least publicly. Be able to keep the disaster and the relief efforts for Hurricane Helene in front of more people than just in the state of North Carolina.”

He'll be bringing in additional resources to keep people in their homes with his Chief Cares Fund.

“The power is going to come from the people in that community,” Church said. “So our job with Chief Cares is we're going to try to keep people in their community and give them a home where their church is, where their school is, so that they continue to rebuild it from the inside out.”

While continuing to spread hope in the weeks, months and years to come.

“It goes back again to the hope. I mean, there's a lot of people that are in a tough spot right now, and it may be a minute before we can fix that,” Church said. "But the hope will sustain them in the meantime.”

Church said his team is looking for locations for land in Avery County and the surrounding areas to start building the homes. In the meantime, he said they will continue to support boots on the ground efforts for communities in need.