Whiteville, NC – James Churchville remembers picking out his home in Whiteville with his mother nearly 20 years ago. He raised two children in that house as well as his granddaughter.
In 2016, Hurricane Matthew blew through Columbus County and nearly destroyed his home full of memories.
“A big gust of wind came, and you felt the whole house just shake,” Churchville recalls. “I was like, ‘Oh Lord, we’re about to come up off of the darn foundation.’ Little to my knowledge, the house actually did shift. There was water coming down and going up under the house.”
In addition to the water damage the storm caused, mold started to grow, aggravating Churchville’s asthma and lung condition.
Two years later, while Churchville was trying to find a way to repair the damage from Hurricane Matthew, Hurricane Florence hit.
“That storm blew off part of the roof,” Churchville said. “I had to get out in the middle of the storm to try and cover up my roof. In my bedroom, the whole roof, shingles and all were gone. You could look straight out into the sky.”
Churchville filed a claim with his insurance company, but they wouldn’t cover the cost of replacing the roof, so he was forced to look elsewhere. After getting turned down by multiple agencies, a woman from one of the area churches told him about the Homeowner Recovery Program.
Churchville applied to the program and was approved almost immediately. He was driving to Philadelphia when he got the phone call telling him he qualified for a new home.
“It was unbelievable,” Churchville said. “They said, ‘Mr. Churchville, I have good news for you.’ I said, ‘What’s that?’ They said, ‘You’ve been approved for a brand-new modular home.’ I was so excited. It was amazing. I just had to thank God for it.”
While crews started rebuilding his home, Churchville moved to a nearby hotel. He stayed in constant contact with his case manager who kept him informed about the process. He would also visit the construction site to see the progress.
“I watched the house form from start to finish,” Churchville said. “I was amazed at how quickly they built everything. I definitely thank ReBuild and Shepherd Response because they’ve done an excellent job.”
In 2023, Churchville moved into his new house with his son and granddaughter. The home has a ramp and is fully accessible so Churchville can get around with his mobility scooter.
“The house is beautiful. I love this house,” Churchville said. “My favorite part is the bedroom because I can just look out at the country space. My bathroom is so spacious. The shower, oh my goodness. The shower is just like huge! I can get around the whole house because it’s so wide. I love it! I’m going to enjoy every part of this house.”
Churchville looks forward to spending another 20 years in his new home and building new memories with his granddaughter and children.