FROM THE NEST | SPRING 2025 | 7 slammed into a tree, causing the back bedroom to break off,” Kreitz said. “It was covered in inches of mud and already condemned.” During the storm, the family of four who lived in the mobile home took shelter in a two-bedroom house next door that they inherited from a recently deceased grandparent. Prior to the storm, the family had been fixing up the house and had planned to sell it, but with their mobile home beyond repair, they were forced to move into the house as their permanent residence. Although the house fared better than the mobile home, the flood waters caused extensive damages that required a gut renovation. “The carpets were completely soaked, and mold was already beginning to grow on the damp walls by the time we got there,” Kreitz said. “We knew immediately that the carpet and lower half of the walls had to come out.” Rallying a Restoration Team After building a rapport with the family and posting images of their home on Facebook to raise funds for the repairs needed, Kreitz took it upon herself to begin the demolition. She turned to Facebook again to round up a crew of volunteers that helped remove the carpeting, subfloor and lower portions of the walls. One of the volunteers from South Carolina was Katie Gregory ’15, Kreitz’s friend who was also an earth and environmental sciences major at Lehigh. “When I saw what was happening in North Carolina, I wanted to help in any way that I could,” Gregory said. “As soon as I found out that Ashley was helping, I reached out to her and asked if I could join her crew for a weekend, and it was awesome.” With limited resources and the construction skills needed to refinish the home, Kreitz had the idea to seek out a construction crew or contractors who were looking to donate their time and services. After posting a call to action and searching various groups on Facebook, she found Relentless Construction, LLC, a Milton, Pennsylvania-based construction company that wanted to volunteer. The construction company also collected donations to help the families with purchasing materials, Kreitz said, and once they arrived in Barnardsville, they teamed up with the volunteer crew led by Kreitz. The group installed new subfloor, flooring, insulation, drywall and ductwork, and the home restoration project was completed in November. “It’s more about trying to get as many homes to a safe spot, and then the family can do the finishing touches whenever they feel that they are able to,” Kreitz said. Building a Lasting Bond For Kreitz, building a bond with the family she helped has been a highlight of her volunteer work. “I feel very welcome for the rest of my life, and it’s just a good connection,” she said. While coordinating everything— from posting renovation progress on Facebook to crowdsourcing volunteers to fundraising to project planning—consumed the majority of her days spent volunteering, Kreitz said she found the work so rewarding. Gregory said she is amazed by Kreitz’s efforts and would love to volunteer with her again in the future. “It has been amazing to see her bring all the people together on this crew to help out this family, and it’s been such a joy to work with her,” she said. “She has been such a superstar.” Both Kreitz and Gregory said they encourage everyone to not be afraid to take action and keep the momentum going on cleanup and relief efforts, as areas like Barnardsville could experience a long road to recovery. “Don’t be afraid that you don’t know what you’re doing; you just have to go do it,” Kreitz said. “Like everything in life, you figure it out as you go. You just have to start somewhere and just go for it.” —Lauren Thein Katie Gregory ’15 and other volunteers gather in front of the home that Ashley Kreitz ’15 and her volunteer team restored in Barnardsville, North Carolina. Ashley Kreitz ’15 and Gerik Bensing ’14 helped remove water, mud and debris from a building in the River Arts District located in Asheville, North Carolina.
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