GOD’S PIT CREW UNVEILS NEW HOME FOR FIREFIGHTER’S FAMILY IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA
DANVILLE, VA. (August 11, 2025) – In a moment that moved many to tears, the Cicillian family – Zach, Amber, and their three sons – stepped into their brand new, fully furnished home this weekend after losing everything during Hurricane Helene’s impact last year.
Built from the ground up in less than two weeks by God’s Pit Crew, a disaster response team of compassionate volunteers and partners from across the nation, the home stands as a beacon of hope and resilience in the storm’s long wake.
This is the 28th home God’s Pit Crew has provided in 2025 alone, with more currently in progress in hurricane-ravaged communities and flood-stricken regions across the Southeast.
The emotional home reveal consisted of the moment the family saw their new house for the first time – complete with family portraits already hanging on the walls and thoughtful, personal touches in every room for each member of the family.
Zach Cicillian, a firefighter and father of three, held back tears as he shared what the moment meant to him.
“When we’d say, ‘Let’s go home,’ our toddler would ask, ‘Which house?’” Cicillian shared. “But today, we tell him we’re going home, and he knows where that’s at.”
“It’s like a ton lifted off my shoulders,” he added. “It enables us to have a life and not worry about that. It’s more than I could have prayed for.”
The family had spent months living in borrowed spaces after Hurricane Helene left their home uninhabitable. Now, thanks to dozens of volunteers who came from as far as California to Western North Carolina, they finally have a place to call their own.
Randy Johnson, God’s Pit Crew President, reflected on the significance of the project saying, “Every home we build is a blessing to be part of, but this one – seeing a firefighter’s family who has served others so selflessly finally receive a safe place to call home – hits especially close to our hearts,” Johnson said. “We are honored to play a part in this new beginning for the Cicillian family.”
As many families across the region and beyond continue to recover from Hurricane Helene and a year of historic flooding, God’s Pit Crew remains steadfast in its mission to provide help and hope wherever possible.
