Lumberton, NC —For generations, Alicia Buie’s house in Lumberton was a place of safety, full of cherished family memories. But when Hurricanes Matthew and Florence hit one after the other, she could only watch helplessly as the storms destroyed her home.
“We had so much rain, and it caused a lot of flooding,” Alicia recalled. “The roof got messed up real bad, but I didn’t realize how bad it was inside. We had mold all in between the roof and the ceiling. It was a mess.”
Her home, once a safe place for her children and grandchildren, became a health hazard. The master bedroom ceiling caved in, leaving the family with nowhere to go. Temporary fixes weren’t enough—mold continued to spread, making Alicia and her grandchildren sick. With no clear path forward, she didn’t know where to turn until a friend told her about the Homeowner Recovery Program.
“I decided to give it a chance,” she said. “And it wasn’t long before they came out, tore the house down, and next thing I knew—I had a brand-new home.”
She remembers watching construction crews clear away the remains of her old house, making room for a fresh start. The process moved quickly, and before she knew it, she was back in her kitchen, cooking dinners for her grandchildren.
Alicia said she feels nothing but gratitude for the program. They didn’t just rebuild her home; they gave her a future—one where she and her family could feel safe and build memories for generations to come.
“I appreciate everything they did for me,” Alicia said. “It was wonderful. I appreciate it to the highest.”