Chief getting it done for the home state.
Hurricane Helene made landfall in western Florida in September, and here we are now in February, and the devastation is still overwhelming, particularly in western North Carolina. The Category 4 hurricane brought sustained winds over 100 miles per hour, and mostly as a result of the flooding that followed, over 230 people people lost their lives. More than half of them in North Carolina.
Eric Church, a North Carolina native, immediately stepped up and released “Darkest Hour,” signing over all the rights to the song to the people of North Carolina. Then, he teamed up with fellow North Carolina native and country music superstar, Luke Combs, for Concert for Carolina, an all-star charity show at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. The two were able to raise a whopping $24 million for those affected by the storm.
But he didn’t stop there.
Church, via his Chief Cares foundation, launched the “Blueprint for the Blue Ridge,” a project dedicated to building 100 homes for 100 families who were displaced by Hurricane Helene.
“Any time a community needs help, it’s always the community next door that comes running to help. And there are no communities next door. They’ve all been devastated. So we’ve made it our mission at Chief Cares that we’re going to be the community next door…
We’re going to go and keep those people in their community, put a roof over their head, let ’em interact with their community, let ’em be a part of their community, and let ’em help rebuild the community.
It goes way beyond 100 homes. I hope it’s a lot of homes. A lot more than 100 homes. I hope it’s about building the businesses and building the community back. That’s what we’re committing to at Chief Cares, and we would love your help.”
And he also talked about how special the area is to him personally:
“I’ve wrote every album of my career but one in Avery county, right here. So creatively it’s been real special to me, but spiritually it’s the place that my soul’s at rest. It’s the place that I get away from what I do in the world to come here and recharge. So it’s the most special place in the world to me, the mountains of this area.”
And now, it’s been revealed that Church’s foundation has already purchased the land outside of Newland in Avery County, and they’re set to break ground on the project this April. They’re targeting for 40 homes to be move in-ready by June, with keys in hand for the new owners.
The project would’ve actually been done sooner had winter weather not delayed the build. They also had to lay new roads, as well as sewer and water lines. The new neighborhood is also planning to have a community center and hiking trails.
🚨#BREAKING: Country music star, Eric Church confirms he is donating 40 homes to victims of Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina.
He is building an ENTIRE neighborhood with a community center and hiking trails.
The keys to the 1st home will be handed to families in June. pic.twitter.com/VqsgeNtfpy
— Matt Van Swol (@matt_vanswol) February 15, 2025