Georgia HBA Rebuilds Veteran’s Home Destroyed by Hurricane Helene

As we celebrate Veterans Day, NAHB members across the country are showing that service takes many forms, including helping veterans recover after natural disasters.

In Georgia, the Home Builders Association of the Greater Aiken-Augusta Region is rebuilding an 83-year-old Army veteran’s home that was destroyed by Hurricane Helene. Backed by a $50,000 grant from the Home Building Industry Disaster Relief Fund (HBIDRF), the Augusta Home Builders are helping him return to his home of more than 50 years.

“When Hurricane Helene hit us, we didn’t have power. We didn’t have internet. We didn’t have cell phones,” said Association Executive Officer Tiffany Heitzman. “It was, ‘OK, what can we do? What can we do to rebuild our community?’”

Immediately after the storm, the Association partnered with the Salvation Army to collect food donations. But, as response efforts continued, Heitzman recognized a greater community need. Many people, from single parents to the elderly, needed help clearing debris, removing fallen trees and making temporary repairs before insurance could step in.

In response, HBA members quickly rallied together and volunteered thousands of hours of skilled labor to help their neighbors in need. That's when the Association was introduced to a local veteran and found its biggest project yet. 

Three large trees fell on the veteran’s home, with water damage and asbestos leaving it uninhabitable. It needed to be stripped to the foundation and completely rebuilt, so the Association first connected the resident with FEMA. When he was offered only $8,500 to help, the HBA members were inspired to step in and rebuild it one way or another.

“What really helped us was when the HBI Disaster Rebuilding Grant came through, and we had money to put where our mouths were,” Heitzman said. “It jumpstarted us knowing that if we couldn’t have something donated, we’d have the funds to make it happen.”

With support from HBIDRF and the Builders Community Fund, the Association’s nonprofit partner, construction began in May and has been in progress since. The driving force behind the project has been Association members, who have donated countless hours of labor to rebuild the home. Local businesses have also stepped up by donating building materials and the necessary supplies to make the project possible.

Heitzman said the wave of member support has been inspiring and largely spread by word of mouth. She first worked with the Association’s Executive Committee members, who reached out to their subcontractors for labor donations. Then, construction progress videos shared on Facebook drew even more interest from the community. 

“The outpouring of members has been overwhelming,” she said. “People who weren’t members heard about it and wanted to step in and get involved. We’ve had two of them join our association.”

Among those involved were the Association’s Professional Women in Building Council. The group initially wanted to complete framing, but Heitzman instead asked the project superintendent if they could help paint. From there, they organized a two-day project in September, with about 20 members volunteering to bring the home closer to completion.

Now, what once seemed like a daunting project is in its final stages. The team plans to begin furnishing the house and adding final touches in mid-November before handing over the keys by Thanksgiving. 

"At the end of the day, sometimes we feel like that’s too big to take on, but if you have a small group that’s carrying the mission of building back your community -- once you get that core group -- it spreads and doesn’t feel impossible because everyone takes a piece,” Heitzman said.