About Chief Cares
Founded by Eric and Katherine Church, powered by community.
Chief Cares was created with a simple but powerful mission: to serve those in need and strengthen communities through compassion, action, and long-term investment.
From day one, we’ve stood with individuals and families facing hardship—offering support when it’s needed most.
But when Hurricane Helene struck Western North Carolina in September 2024, that mission took on new urgency.
The devastation was staggering. Entire neighborhoods were leveled. Families were displaced. And yet, through it all, people stood up. Hands of neighbors, friends, and community leaders reached out to do what they could—some gripped chainsaws to clear the wreckage, others held the hurting through overwhelming grief.
In the months that followed, we saw that rebuilding would take more than short-term aid. It would require a bold, long-term solution—one grounded in dignity, stability, and staying power.
Rebuilding communities starts with the people who serve them.
The teachers. The nurses. The firefighters and first responders.
These pillars of the community are the heartbeat of their hometowns. But too often, crisis forces them to leave the very communities they’ve helped build.
Chief Cares stepped in with a clear answer: build homes that help them stay.
Our housing initiative provides mortgage-free, rent-free homes to the local pillars who keep Western North Carolina strong.
Blue Haven, our first neighborhood in Avery County, is the beginning of what we hope becomes a nationwide model for recovery and resilience.
Learn more about Blue HavenChief Cares is dedicated to strengthening small towns across America by providing accessible, stable housing to exceptional community servants.
We empower those who dedicate their lives to others—by giving them a path to homeownership in the places they love.
We believe in providing a hand up—honoring daily acts of service with long-term opportunity.
This is more than housing—it’s a roadmap for long-term resilience.
When we invest in the people who hold a community together, everyone benefits.
Families put down roots. Schools thrive. Health systems grow stronger. The next generation sees a future worth staying for.
With the Blueprint for the Blue Ridge, Chief Cares is building more than homes—we’re building a replicable, scalable model to serve small towns across the country.
This is just the beginning.
Learn moreJoin the movement
Chief Cares is made possible by generous partners, donors, and neighbors who believe in local impact and long-term resilience.
If you want to be part of the story we’re building—right here in the Blue Ridge and beyond—we invite you to join us.