When disaster strikes, it’s easy to see what’s been lost.
But for one North Carolina artist, the story isn’t about the wreckage — it’s about the unexpected “angels” who taught her to spot hope in the muddiest of moments. Sherry Housley never imagined her quiet life on the outskirts of Burnsville would be upended by Hurricane Helene. After the storm reduced her home to a pile of concrete blocks and scattered memories, she spent six months living in a weathered camper on her ravaged property.
“I was gutted. It was just a total shock. I just sat there. I remember sitting on what was left of concrete blocks of the foundation of my home and just thinking, ‘I don’t know where to go. I don’t know how to cope with this,’” Housley said. What she couldn’t foresee was the whirlwind of kindness about to sweep in — wearing tool belts and wielding hammers.
Sherry Housley discusses her home. Photo from Good Morning America
Enter Jeremy Dott’s honors carpentry class at Mountain Heritage High School. Partnering with nonprofit Rebuilding Hollers, these students swapped textbooks for blueprints, determined to construct a tiny home for Housley. “When they heard that we had the opportunity to be able to build a home for people in our community that were directly affected, it was absolutely essential to the way the program just came together,” Dott said. For Housley, their enthusiasm felt nothing short of divine.
I was flooded with water; now I’m flooded with angels,” she said.
The road to recovery hasn’t been straightforward. Housley’s yard remains a patchwork of debris—a neighbor’s car lodged behind her former art studio, mailboxes washed miles from their posts. Yet amid the chaos, she’s learned to hunt for hidden sparks of joy.
“You have to sift through every little bit of dirt because you don’t know what’s hidden in there,” Housley said. “It’s a treasure hunt.” Even the chirp of cardinals, which remind her of her son, or blades of grass piercing the mud, became tiny victories. “It’s just like, yes! Yes! Something is growing now. It’s not just mud here, and in that tiny little space, there’s something green and growing,” she said.
“You have to sift through every little bit of dirt because you don’t know what’s hidden in there,” Sherry said. “It’s a treasure hunt.” Photo by QC News
A GoFundMe organized by Rising Light Relief director Alyssa Vigneault further buoyed efforts to rebuild, aiming to raise $9,900. But for Housley, the true wealth lies in her community’s spirit. “We have some awfully good young people in this neighborhood. In this community. And they are really showing off right now up there,” she added.
Though reminders of loss linger — like the hole where her studio once stood — Housley chooses to focus on what remains. “Every time I look, I see something else I’d forgotten about,” she said. Now, as her new tiny home nears completion, gratitude washes over her. “There are no words, there are no words,” Housley said.
“I was flooded with water. Now I’m flooded with the angels.”
A group of high school students in Asheville, North Carolina, stepped up to use their carpentry skills to help their neighbors after Hurricane Helene. @ginger_zee shares how they’re rebuilding their community. pic.twitter.com/9FjVmdBLCp
— Good Morning America (@GMA) March 27, 2025
