SWANNANOA, N.C. — It’s been seven months since Helene hit western North Carolina, and those living in some of the hardest hit areas are still rebuilding.

What You Need To Know

  • Toni Ratliff said the plan is to stay in the area for up to five years and work with others in the community to help people rebuild
  • Fuller Center Disaster Rebuilders works to help people whose homes were damaged by a disaster
  • The Fuller Center is currently helping repair more than 26 homes in Swannanoa

“We start from the floor up. We want to make sure that everything is good,” said Toni Ratliff, volunteer coordinator and family partner for Fuller Center Disaster Rebuilders.

Ratliff is helping a woman from Swannanoa, who lost her home in Helene and is currently living with her daughter, sign up for home repairs. Swannanoa was one of the hardest hit communities during Helene. 

“Repairing, replacing, plumbing, electrical and heating, and air unit, insulating the walls. Subfloor in the attic. Installing, finishing, priming and painting new sheet rock. Installing new vinyl flooring,” Ratliff said.

Fuller Center Disaster Rebuilders works to help people whose homes were damaged by a disaster.

While working with the organization, homeowners are able to decide on the new things happening in their home, such as floor plan changes and paint colors. The repair costs are covered using FEMA funding along with other grants and donations.

"So FEMA has different categories. So the first thing we use is if they have any FEMA money for home repairs. So we use that and we'll help. If they didn't get the maximum, we'll help with their FEMA appeal to try to help them get whatever the maximum amount that they should get, whatever that may be. And then on top of that, we apply for we have, grants that we do have, and we have donations," Ratliff said.

Ratliff and other volunteers have been helping homeowners in western North Carolina since the storm hit.

“Today we've got 19 people with us from South Carolina, North Carolina, Connecticut, Texas, and next week we'll have folks from just about as many geographic areas,” said Doug Lee, team lead for the Anglican Relief and Development Fund.

Ratliff said the plan is to stay in the area for up to five years and work with others in the community to help people rebuild. 

“There are people that need help. And if we don't make the connection between them and the volunteers, who else is going to help them? So there's other nonprofits out there helping as well. But, the amount of the need is so great that there's no way one organization can take care of all,” Ratliff said.

Ratliff said the work is hard, but she’s happy to be helping those who need it most.

“It's really good to see them have hope again. We always say we're giving them a hand up not a hand. But, to see them healing through the whole field process, because we meet them and they're usually at their lowest. And then as the work starts, you see a change in them where they start to have hope again,” Ratliff said.

The Fuller Center is currently helping repair more than 26 homes in Swannanoa.