Storm repairs begin through NC STEP program

Feb. 22-- Feb. 22--As a team of volunteers began making needed repairs at their home off Old 30 Road, Rowland and Carmen Ruiz were thankful for the "angels" at work to fix the damage to their home they have lived with since Hurricane Florence.

"I'm just grateful, very grateful. Thank God for this. They are angels," Carmen Ruiz said as she watched new insulation being hauled inside to get ready to replace the water-damaged insulation in the ceiling.

The couple evacuated to Florida and stayed with their son during Hurricane Florence and when they returned home they didn't initially realize the extent of the water damage from leaks in the roof.

"At first we saw a little bit of mold here and there and gradually there was more and more," she recalled.

Mrs. Ruiz said they were able to stay with their son for a while but weren't sure what they were going to do about the repairs still needed once they were home again. They had registered with FEMA and when they heard about the N.C. STEP program from a neighbor they applied.

They were accepted for the program and their home on Buckskin Drive off of Old 30 Road outside Jacksonville is one of the first in Onslow County where repairs have been made through NC STEP.

North Carolina's Sheltering and Temporary Essential Power (STEP) program is a joint venture with the state and FEMA and provides rapid, partial repairs to make homes safe and habitable so that homeowners don't need temporary housing.

While some repairs may be handled by contractors hire by the state, the program has partnered with North Carolina Baptists on Mission and the North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church to provide volunteer work teams.

Stephanie Hunt, a construction manager with the North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church Disaster Response program, said they have eight sites set up across Eastern North Carolina and they are the group doing repairs for the NC STEP program in Onslow County.

Hunt, who is coordinating work in Onslow County, said there are 1,747 homeowners who qualified for the STEP program in Onslow County and they currently have work teams scheduled to be in the county through the end of August and there could be others coming after that.

"We're in this for the long haul," Hunt said.

Teams are being housed at Swansboro United Methodist Church and the first group was at work this week.

Nearly 50 volunteers with Team BASIC -- Brothers and Sisters in Christ -- came together from eight states to help make repairs.

Pete Adler, a Virginia resident, said BASIC started in 2006 and each February they gather at a location where they are needed.

Adler said they have been to locations where there have been hurricanes, tornadoes and other disasters and many have been displaced from their homes or lost everything in a storm.

Helping them recover is more than making a repair.

"We're helping people put their homes back together; we're helping to put people's lives back together," Adler said.

This week the group tackled various repairs at eight homes, from replacing a wheelchair to roof, flooring, electrical work and a lot of drywall work.

"Lots of Sheetrock. There has been lots of Sheetrock," he said.

At the Ruiz home, there was work underway to clean the mold and mildew off the outside of the house and the crew assessed where to start work on subfloor and replacing insulation in the ceiling.

With just one more day at work in Onslow County they may not get everything done but they'll get a good start so that the next team can pick up where they leave off.

Bill Yanovitch, who is a retired civil engineer from Virginia, said it is work he loves to do to help others.

"It is tremendously rewarding," Yanovitch said. "The Lord has blessed me with some skills and I feel an obligation, not really an obligation but a joy in helping others."

Mrs. Ruiz said they are grateful for everything being done.

"Every bit helps," she said. "To have them come here like this; I'm very grateful."

Hunt said the STEP program is designed to provide basic repairs so that a homeowner can live there while other repairs are done.

Hunt said as the North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church comes in they want to be able to do all the repairs they can while they are out doing the work.

"We are actively looking for ways to raise money to be able to help thousands of people," Hunt said.

They are also still taking names of homeowners who did not qualify for FEMA assistance or don't have insurance and need repairs from storm damage done.

Homeowners seeking possible assistance can call Hunt at 919-441-2324 or text their name, address and phone number. She can also be reached by email at [email protected].

Anyone interested in donating or helping to raise funds can contact her at the same number and email address.

Reporter Jannette Pippin can be reached at 910-382-2557 or [email protected]. For digital subscription information, click here.

___

(c)2019 The Daily News (Jacksonville, N.C.)

Visit The Daily News (Jacksonville, N.C.) at www.jdnews.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.