A new chapter: God’s Pit Crew builds two new homes for families in Nebo following Helene devastation
On Friday, Oct. 9, in Nebo, Joshua and Bethany Hollifield and their two children saw their brand-new, fully constructed and fully furnished home for the first time.
This is the new home for Joshua and Bethany Hollifield and their two children. The Hollifield home and the new home for Jamie and Shannon Honeycutt are part of the new Community of Hope taking shape in Nebo through the partnership of God’s Pit Crew, Samaritan’s Purse, and the Ray and Kay Eckstein Charitable Trust.
The family received the keys to their new home and began a new chapter following the devastation of Hurricane Helene.
The volunteers with God’s Pit Crew pause for a moment of prayer during the reveal of the new home for Joshua and Bethany Hollifield and their children.
The homes were first framed and prepared at God’s Pit Crew headquarters in Danville, Va., before being transported to Nebo, where crews completed construction, painting, fixtures, appliances, furnishings, and the personal touches prepared specifically for each family.
When the doors for these homes open, the families will step into new dwellings that are finished and furnished — ready for them to begin their next chapter.
Two McDowell County families whose lives were forever changed by Hurricane Helene are experiencing a moment more than two years in the making as God’s Pit Crew is welcoming them into brand-new, fully constructed and fully furnished homes in Nebo.
On Friday, Oct. 9, in Nebo, Joshua and Bethany Hollifield and their two children saw their brand-new, fully constructed and fully furnished home for the first time. The family received the keys to their new home and began a new chapter following the devastation of Hurricane Helene, according to a news release from God’s Pit Crew.
Jamie and Shannon Honeycutt, also of Nebo, were likewise scheduled to receive the keys to their new home. Due to unforeseen circumstances, the home reveal for the Honeycutt home has been moved to a later date. A new reveal date for the Honeycutt family will be shared in the coming days. God’s Pit Crew greatly appreciates the understanding and continued support as the ministry prepares to celebrate each family at the appropriate time, according to the news release.
The Hollifield and Honeycutt homes are part of the new Community of Hope taking shape in Nebo through the partnership of God’s Pit Crew, Samaritan’s Purse, and the Ray and Kay Eckstein Charitable Trust. Eight homes will ultimately be constructed within the community for families recovering from Hurricane Helene, according to the news release.
Since Hurricane Helene devastated communities across the Southeast in September 2024, God’s Pit Crew has remained committed to long-term recovery throughout the region. Nearly 60 brand-new homes have been provided through the ministry for families impacted by the storm, in addition to extensive immediate response efforts and the distribution of critical relief supplies throughout western North Carolina, east Tennessee, southwest Virginia and other affected areas.
For the Honeycutt and Hollifield families, the new homes will mark the culmination of an intensive two-week build that brought volunteers from across the country together in the mountains of western North Carolina.
God’s Pit Crew volunteers have worked to transform the two houses into homes from the ground up. The homes were first framed and prepared at God’s Pit Crew headquarters in Danville, Va., before being transported to Nebo, where crews completed construction, painting, fixtures, appliances, furnishings and the personal touches prepared specifically for each family.
When the doors for these homes open, the families will step into new dwellings that are finished and furnished — ready for them to begin their next chapter.
“We are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to serve these families and to be part of this larger ‘Community of Hope,’” God’s Pit Crew President and Founder Randy Johnson said. “This is a good showing of what long-term disaster recovery really looks like. It’s not measured in days or weeks but sometimes can take years.”
“It takes volunteers willing to keep showing up and supporters who understand that the need doesn’t disappear when the storm is gone,” Johnson added.
The "Community of Hope" represents another significant step in God’s Pit Crew’s long-term response to Hurricane Helene, which devastated communities throughout the Southeast in September 2024, according to the news release.
