Young Leaders, Lasting Impact:
How AmeriCorps NCCC is Helping Buncombe County Rebuild
When Hurricane Helene hit Western North Carolina, it did more than damage houses. It uprooted lives. Families lost their homes, communities felt the shock, and recovery seemed overwhelming. That's when AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) members showed up, ready to help.
For more than 25 years, AmeriCorps NCCC has brought together young adults from across the country to help out, whether by responding to disasters, supporting nonprofits, or pitching in where communities need it most. In Buncombe County, their help is more than just numbers on a page. It's cleared yards, fixed roofs, dry crawlspaces, and, most importantly, brought smiles to families when they finally come home.
A Third Wave of Support
The Gizzly 7 Team is the third NCCC crew to get to work in the region post-Helene. Since January, they have teamed up with All Hands and Hearts to fix 11 homes. They hauled out debris, removed ruined walls and floors, resealed structures, and made sure families have safe, dry places to live again.
As Jack Hagan (Team Leader, TX) explained, their journey began months earlier with training in Sacramento, followed by service projects in Ohio and Kentucky before arriving in North Carolina.
"We've been with All Hands and Hearts this whole time, assisting in home repairs from Hurricane Helene, including removing debris, damaged walls, floors, and framing, and sort of resealing homes, making them moisture resistant, rebuilding them so people have a safe place to come back to and line in," Hagan shared. "I believe we worked on 11 different homes in our month and change that we've been here."
For community partners, their presence means more than productivity.
"We were really excited to find out that AmeriCorps was bringing teams back out again," said Taylor Hynes from All Hands and Hearts. "We were honored that United Way reached out to us to host this group, because a number of our staff members are former NCCC. We are a volunteer-powered organization, so while we have staff members who know construction and they lead the sites, we would not be able to get the work done without the volunteers. This group of young people coming in here, it's been really amazing getting to know them, to see different skills. It changes lives. It changes the lives of the community that we're working with."
That's the power of national service: measurable results paired with immeasurable encouragement.
More Than Rebuilding Homes
The work is tough, but it's the emotional bonds that stick with volunteers long after the tools are put away.
Bella Healy (MA) remembers working with an elderly homeowner whose roof had been crushed by a fallen tree.
"She was saying, 'I could have lived with my son and his daughter-in-law, but I didn't want to leave because this was home,'" Healy recalled. After weeks of repairs, "just seeing the end result come together...she was emotional, and I got emotional. It was truly worth it."
Daniel Gonzales (NJ) echoed that sentiment: "If you don't get the work done, but you have a good interaction with the community...you're just talking to the homeowner for two hours, it's a win in the day. That's what I found the most fulfilling."
For Key Beard (SC), service is about accessibility and dignity. Reflecting on installing ramps and handles for a homeowner with limited hand mobility, he said, "Actually, interacting with the community and helping them on a person-to-person basis — that really helps."
NCCC members do more than repair buildings. They help people regain their independence, stability, and hope.
Growth That Lasts a Lifetime
AmeriCorps NCCC also gives young adults a chance to build leadership skills as they figure out their next steps.
"I didn't really know anything about this program before I joined it," Hagan admitted. "It deserves publicity...people definitely deserve to be in the know about NCCC and the value that program can have for someone who's trying to figure their life out."
Members learn practical skills, like operating tractors and installing moisture barriers, but they also grow in ways that are harder to see.
"I quickly learned that I am not as good a leader as I thought I was," Hangan reflected.
"And that has been great...seeing the areas that I fall short...and grow towards."
Margaret April (NH) described the deeper transformation: "It allows you to see beyond yourself...You really learn to value other people and see that you're not just yourself, you're a part of a whole collective."
Sebastian Ware (NC) summed it up simply: "So not only helping out the community, but helping out ourselves."
By living and working together, these young adults become, as Healy says, "a little family." They support each other, encourage one another, and come out of the experience stronger and ready for whatever comes next.
A Legacy of Hope
Recovery from Helene is not over yet. But thanks to AmeriCorps NCCC and the young leaders who dedicate months of their lives to service, our community is moving forward.
To the Grizzly 7 Team and every AmeriCorps NCCC member: thank you. You are not just rebuilding houses. You are rebuilding hope, and that will last long after the last nail goes in.
United Way completes AmeriCorps NCCC applications, provides ongoing supervision to team members, and secures housing through sponsorships. By taking on these coordination functions, we allow our partners to remain focused on delivering critical community services.
Grizzly 7 is currently working with CORE (Community Organized Relief Efforts) and Valley Hope Foundation, supporting Helene recovery work in Swannanoa and surrounding areas.