REPAIRING HOMES FOR RESILIENT COMMUNITIES — TOGETHER
June 16, 2025
Repairing homes for resilient communities — Together
JUNE 16, 2025
In the aftermath of a natural disaster, rebuilding is more than a challenge—it’s a test of resilience, especially for families already living in vulnerable communities.
For low-income regions, the realities of a struggling local economy combined with unexpected natural disasters means many people can’t move on and rebuild their lives. Without assistance, homeowners lack crucial resources and opportunities to change their story.
In eastern North Carolina, World Renew Disaster Response Services (DRS)’s local partner, Carolina Rebuilding Ministry (CRM), is making a difference for disaster survivors. The rural area’s housing issues have only been amplified by lingering effects of Hurricane Matthew in 2016 and continuous flooding. The staff at CRM realized that a full-scale recovery effort would have a more lasting impact on communities, especially for those who suffer from the effects of multiple disasters. As a result, they have set out to provide stronger, safer, and healthier homes for people living in damaged or substandard housing.
Since 2024, DRS volunteers have been repairing homes in nearby Windsor, North Carolina, for community members like Anna. Like many in today’s housing market, Anna struggled to find housing options that would be sufficient for her and her daughter. To her excitement, she finally found a home in Windsor that offered a rent-to-own opportunity.
Unfortunately, like many low-income houses affected by disasters in the area, Anna’s home posed some health and safety risks. When DRS volunteers partnered with CRM to help Anna, they saw the reality of what substandard housing means for the Windsor community. As CRM notes, people in the community are facing poor physical and mental health, safety issues, increased energy consumption, and more.
With motivation to be Jesus’ hands and feet in the community, DRS volunteers got to work on transforming Anna’s home. The team replaced the exterior siding and installed new exterior doors. Inside, they repainted the walls, added trim along the new windows, and installed new flooring and baseboards in the kitchen and bathroom. Finally, the team built Anna a new deck in the backyard.
Throughout the many weeks of repairs, Anna returned home daily to see the home’s progress. She gave back to the volunteers by providing a lunchtime meal for them every week, thanking them for the work they completed. To conclude their time, DRS volunteers held a “last nail celebration” to honor Anna’s family and their future. Anna recognized each volunteer by gifting them a certificate and trophy at the celebration, acknowledging the meaningful difference they made in her life. She sees the assistance provided by CRM and DRS as an immense blessing for her family.
DRS celebrates the resilience of eastern North Carolina families like Anna’s and the transformation in their communities thanks to our partnership with CRM—and we invite you to join us! Our volunteer teams will resume home repairs in Fall 2025 from:
Team 1: October 4th – October 25th
Team 2: October 25th – November 15th
Team 3: November 15th – December 6th
If you’re interested in volunteering with DRS in North Carolina, let us know by clicking the button below and filling out our inquiry form.
