HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. -- In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, former Renew NC case manager Randy Silver wanted to find a way help his community. A native of Hendersonville, he watched as his neighbors faced homes damaged by high winds and fallen trees, and properties inundated by multiple feet of mud, water, and debris.
Silver was in Tennessee when Helene struck. A two-hour drive to Pigeon Forge took eight hours driving back to Hendersonville. Floodwaters had washed out highways, while downed trees and power lines blocked major roads.
When Silver finally made it home, he found three fallen hickory trees blocking his driveway, with branches strewn across his roof. After making sure his family was safe, Silver discovered he couldn't get inside his home. That night, he slept in his car.
Silver's home sustained heavy wind and rain damage, with holes in his roof and a large beam in his living room collapsed. He made temporary repairs by tarping his roof and living solely out of his bedroom, bathroom and kitchen. At the same time, he started looking for ways to help others also impacted by the storm.
Silver joined the Private Property Debris Removal (PPDR) program in Buncombe County. When that opportunity ended, he learned that Renew NC, North Carolina's disaster recovery initiative, had recently launched and was hiring case managers to help homeowners navigate the recovery process. He applied and joined the program in June 2025.
"I wanted to see what I could do. Still to give back to the community," Silver said. "And that was one way that I saw to give back to the community."
In January 2026, during the final month to apply for the Single-Family Housing Program, Silver made a decision that would put him on the other side of the recovery process. After spending months helping homeowners in western NC navigate their applications, he submitted one of his own.
Although Renew NC employees are eligible to apply for assistance, they do not handle their own cases. Silver's application was assigned to upper management. "They wanted to be sure that there was transparency, that they weren't doing anything to help one of their employees, more so than they would anyone else in the community," Silver said.
Experiencing the program as an applicant gave Silver an even closer connection to the homeowners he had been helping at the Renew NC center in Asheville. He understood the uncertainty that came with waiting for application updates and wondering what the next steps would bring.
When homeowners called looking for answers or reassurance about whether they would receive assistance, Silver could speak from personal experience.
"Just have faith that we're going to move forward, and you will get the help that you're seeking," he said.
He also understood how closely case managers and homeowners can connect throughout the process. "You get a very close attachment to most of the people that you deal with because you hear their story, you hear what happened to them. And you can, of course, identify with it because you experienced some similar things."
In May 2026, Silver received the news he had been waiting for: He was approved for assistance through Renew NC and received his award determination letter. He remembers feeling just as excited about that news as he is now being very close to moving into his new home.
Next steps involved moving his belongings into a PODS storage unit and relocating to into temporary housing -- both provided through the Renew NC program. Silver then met with his assigned contractor, BHL Federal, to discuss floor plans, colors, countertops and the anticipated construction timeline.
"I was out of the home on the 29th of July," Silver said. "The next week, first week of August, they tore the old home down."
Silver had lived in the home since 1990. It was where he raised his family and made decades of memories. But after Helene, he knew the damage was too extensive to move forward without leaving the home behind.
"It's just one of them things that you just need to drive away and not look back," he said, recalling his final day at the property. "Yeah, there's memories. There's memories of birthdays, memories of, you know, get-togethers, family there. But those memories will always be with you."
Construction on his new home moved quickly. Following demolition, the foundation, framing, walls and roof began taking shape. Relatives living next to the property have been able to watch the progress unfold day after day.
"We're looking at close to three months since I moved out of my house. And it's been moving along. Sometimes it doesn't seem like it's been three months, and then sometimes it does," Silver said.
Soon, Silver will move into a home that is safe, secure and built with features designed to better withstand future severe weather. After everything he experienced during Helene, knowing he will have a home that provides greater protection and peace of mind means a great deal.
"I'm gonna have a clean living environment and safe living environment," he said.
Silver's home in Hendersonville is among more than 200 Renew NC Single-Family Housing Program projects currently under construction across western North Carolina. More than 700 additional projects are in pre-construction, with more than 260 in the award determination phase. Homeowners and community members can follow recovery progress through the Renew NC online dashboard, which is updated daily.
Although Silver no longer works for Renew NC, his connection to the homeowners he helped remains. Having experienced both sides of the program, he encourages applicants to remain patient with their case managers as they navigate the steps involved in disaster recovery.
"Just remember, they are doing their best to help you," he said. "And just keep that in mind when you're talking to them."