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Over 300 Volunteers Rebuild N.C. Houses, a Community Center Destroyed by Hurricane Helene: 'They're Helping Us Restore Our Lives'
Around 300 volunteers assisted a North Carolina community after the area was devastated by Hurricane Helene in September 2024
The Home Depot Foundation was joined by the Appalachia Service Project, 365 Connect and ToolBank Disaster Services to rebuild houses and a community center that were destroyed in Asheville
"They're helping us restore our lives. ... It's something I'll never forget," Michael Christopher Maria, an Army veteran, saidA North Carolina community received a helpful assist — months after the area was devastated by Hurricane Helene in September 2024.
On Tuesday, June 24, around 300 volunteers from The Home Depot Foundation were joined by the Appalachia Service Project, 365 Connect and ToolBank Disaster Services to rebuild houses and a community center that were destroyed in Asheville by the flooding from the massive storm.
The volunteers gathered to complete the work and renovations at the Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry (ABCCM) Center, according to a press release obtained by PEOPLE. The non-profit addresses "poverty, hunger and homelessness" and offers "access to healthcare for underserved populations," per its website.
Together, the organizations installed kitchen appliances in the facility's new food distribution center, updated offices and therapy rooms and built custom murals, and they also framed walls for around 15 to 20 future homes.
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John Richard Talbot Jr., who served with the Marine Corps, said the help provided by the volunteers was greatly appreciated.
"I feel very thankful and happy ... that they're helping us so much," he said.
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Michael Christopher Maria, an Army veteran, added that the work done by The Home Depot Foundation and the other groups was "totally amazing."
"I'm blown away by what I'm seeing," he continued. "They're helping us restore our lives. ... It's something I'll never forget."
Helene was a Category 4 storm when it made landfall late at night near Perry, Fla., on Thursday, Sept. 26.
Over 200 people died due to the natural disaster throughout several states across the southern part of the U.S.
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Since Hurricane Helene hit the area last year, The Home Depot Foundation has packed thousands of disaster relief kits.
The group has also so far committed $8.5 million to disaster relief efforts in 2025, and The Home Depot Foundation continues to support communities nationwide that are still reeling from natural disasters.
Read the original article on People
