By Jill Eaves

In Saipan, Michael Spencer has found that sometimes the most powerful thing the American Red Cross can offer is a hug.

As a volunteer from Arkansas, Spencer is helping survivors recover after a super typhoon damaged or destroyed thousands of homes in Guam and Saipan. Weeks after the storm, cleanup is still underway, and the need for support remains strong.

Spencer is part of a response that includes about 450 volunteers from across the United States. They are helping families recover with compassion.

“People are resilient,” Spencer said. “The American Red Cross is here to support them and bring help to communities to recover as fast as they can.”

For Spencer, the work has been both challenging and deeply meaningful. Days are long in intense heat and humidity. However, it’s the emotional connections that will stay with him long after he returns home.

“It is such an honor to be here,” he wrote. “I never thought I could have an experience with so much laughing and crying in the extreme heat.”

With partners, the Red Cross has served more than 187,000 snacks and meals to affected communities, supported more than 15,000 overnight stays in Red Cross shelters, and distributed more than 14,000 clean-up kits and emergency supplies.

Spencer said his team often walks alongside residents through the recovery process, offering comfort in one of the simplest yet most powerful ways: a hug.

“We are literally walking with the resident here and spending an hour hugging them if they need it,” Spencer said. “It’s a very special operation.”

The response in Saipan is complex. Many homes do not have physical addresses, making damage assessment slower and more difficult. Even so, Red Cross teams are pressing ahead, supported by local youth volunteers who are stepping into leadership roles. They are translating, helping teams move around the island, and working long days to keep the operation moving.

Behind the scenes, some 70 virtual caseworkers in the United States are opening cases and assisting residents at Family Recovery Centers, while additional virtual damage-assessment volunteers work overnight to support the response. Together, they reflect the reach of the American Red Cross mission and the power of volunteers working side by side, even across long distances.

While cleanup is underway, recovery will take time, and the Red Cross will continue supporting those affected.