Help Rebuild the Community of Relief, North Carolina

OPERATION HARTS RELIEF:

This is a heartbreaking story, one that has shaken a family, a community, and everyone who has heard it. But in the face of unimaginable loss, we have a chance to come together, to turn this tragedy into a testament to the power of human resilience, compassion, and unity. Together, we can show that even after a disaster like this, we can rebuild—stronger, safer, and with hope in our hearts.

Our mission starts with a single home, the oldest on the road, that we’re determined to rebuild higher and more resiliently. With this effort, we aim to make Relief, NC, a place where faith, hope, and community spirit rise from the devastation. But to do this, we need your help.

This fund is dedicated to supporting Nick Honeycutt, his wife Kandais, and their three children, Ava, Tanner, and Hunter, as they work to rebuild their lives. Their family has been struck by a loss that is beyond words. Nick and Kandais had rented their home to Kandais’s brother, Stephen, and his wife, Alena, who were tragically swept away by the storm. By a miracle, their young daughter, Bridget, survived, as she was with her grandparents that night. Now, she faces a future without her parents, and Nick, Kandais, and both sets of grandparents are stepping up to raise her in their memory.

When the hurricane struck, relentless rain and a failed bridge upstream unleashed a 45-foot wall of water. It tore through the community, destroying everything in its path. Thirty-one inches of rain fell in just 18 hours. In the chaos, we lost four more souls, including two young boys next door who desperately tried to climb a tree but were swept away. Stephen was eventually found, thirty miles downstream in Tennessee, but Alena remains missing. Every day, survivors and volunteers search the banks, holding on to a glimmer of hope for closure.

Nick and Kandais, along with so many others, are left to rebuild without support from insurance or state aid, as flood damage isn’t covered. Their story is echoed by every family here who has lost everything they know, yet somehow, these resilient people find the strength to help each other. And with your support, we can help them go one step further.

The Honeycutts’ home will be a place of refuge, a safe haven for the displaced. The frame of the 700 sq ft duplex style home will be donated by Build with Construx, Inc. who manufacture and sell digitally fabricated framing systems. This rebuild will be led by Rob Bertschy, co-founder of Construx, who is coordinating the rebuild with the Honeycutt family and local relief organizations. Nick has committed to keeping it a shelter for anyone in dire need, a symbol of the unity and hope that is bringing Relief back to life. Some materials have been donated, but many are still needed, and the need is urgent.

Please help us assemble and finish this home, so the Honeycutts and other families can begin healing, rebuild their lives, and keep the legacy of this community alive. Your donation will mean more than bricks and beams—it will be a foundation of hope for a family and a community rising from heartbreak.