Restoring and Rebuilding Homes

When Hurricane Helene tore through East Tennessee, entire neighborhoods were upended. Many homes were swept away by flooding or damaged beyond repair. The East Tennessee Foundation is proud to partner with organizations who are working to rebuild homes and secure housing for those displaced. One such organization is the Appalachia Service Project (ASP).

ASP is a Christian-based ministry open to all people and known for inspiring hope and service through volunteer home repair and replacement across Central Appalachia. Backed by a $350,000 grant from the East Tennessee Foundation, ASP is working to restore stability for families still reeling from the hurricane.

The ETF grant is funding construction of 11 new homes across three hard-hit counties. By October 2025, each will be finished and ready to offer displaced families a secure and stable place to live.

“We are thankful for ETF’s support in helping us get families back into warm, safe, and dry housing as quickly as we can,” said ASP’s Vice President of Resource Development Kate McKinnie. “This generous partnership makes it possible for families in crisis to not only rebuild their homes, but to rebuild their hope and stability for the future.”

This effort is more than bricks and boards. ASP is coordinating with ETF-funded Long-Term Recovery Groups in each county by attending Construction Committee meetings and helping manage referrals. The collaboration even extends to sharing materials—truckloads of lumber have been donated by ASP to the Johnson County LTRG—showing how neighbors and organizations are working side by side to rebuild lives as well as homes.