A Path Back to Home

A damaged driveway can leave a family unable to reach their home. A damaged roof or unfinished repair can create health and safety concerns and make it difficult for a house to feel like home again.

With support from WNC Bridge Foundation’s IMPACT Grant RISE Disaster Relief & Recovery, Inc. (RISE) is helping families in Avery, Mitchell, and Yancey counties recover from Hurricane Helene. Funding supports home repairs and rebuilding, private driveway and road repairs, and distribution of needed supplies, addressing practical needs that can stand in the way of a family moving forward.

These recovery efforts are part of RISE’s broader commitment to helping communities before, during, and after disasters. Before a disaster strikes, RISE provides preparedness education and resources. In the immediate aftermath, its teams assess needs, support first responders in reaching residents, clear blocked access routes, and distribute food, water, cleaning supplies, and other essentials. Its services also include search and rescue, animal rescue, tree and debris removal, roof tarping, home muck-outs, and mold remediation.

As urgent needs give way to longer-term challenges, RISE continues helping families recover. That work includes repairing and rebuilding homes, replacing roofs, restoring private roads and driveways, repairing culverts, and addressing landslide damage. RISE has also coordinated donated campers for displaced families and provides disaster case management and follow-up support to help residents move toward safe, stable housing.

RISE brings together local partners, volunteers, contractors, and heavy-equipment teams to carry out this work. Whether providing essential supplies, clearing a road, or rebuilding a home, RISE helps families navigate the long journey from immediate relief to lasting recovery.

Thanks to the work of RISE Disaster Relief & Recovery, Inc, a Mitchell County family now has a repaired kitchen as they continue recovering from Hurricane Helene. These before-and-after photos show the difference that home repairs can make in helping families rebuild and move forward.