Red Crosser Leah Young snapped a photo of Waimea Canyon, often called the “Grand Canyon of the Pacific,” while she and Sheleasa were deployed in Hawaii.
By Sheleasa Omogbai, Regional Volunteer Services Officer, Red Cross of the National Capital and Greater Chesapeake Region
I deployed to Hawaii in mid-September to support response and recovery efforts following Hurricane Lowell. As a first-time deployer, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little nervous. I was assigned to a role supporting volunteers in the operation's workforce team.
What stuck out to me the most was the community. When I went out into the field to do volunteer recruitment, I had the chance to connect with community members and share information with them about the ways they can help support and serve their own community. They were so kind, and genuinely thankful that we were there sharing with them. It was a really great way to connect with people, get to know them, and talk with them, and to let them know that the American Red Cross is right here in their local community.
The other thing was the people I got to work with. I met staff and volunteers from all over the U.S., and it was really something to connect with folks with different backgrounds and hometowns who showed up for the same reason I did. I loved hearing about what they do and why they do it.
Watching a whole disaster response operation come together like that, for my first time, was amazing and gave me a deeper appreciation of the Red Cross mission.
Some of the people I met, both volunteers and staff, I'm still in touch with now. We came together under tough circumstances, but we built something real, and we got to help a community start putting itself back together.
By the end, the nerves were gone. What I was left with was this overwhelming feeling of being part of something bigger, of being able to show up for people when they needed it most. It was more meaningful than I ever could have expected.
That feeling is exactly why I'd do it again. Whenever the time comes, I want to be in that space, helping others.
"We came together under tough circumstances, but we built something real, and we got to help a community start putting itself back together ... I was left with was this overwhelming feeling of being part of something bigger, of being able to show up for people when they needed it most."
When hurricanes, wildfires and other disasters strike, families are often left with critical needs for things like food and shelter. You can be one of the first volunteers on the ground.
When you deploy to support disaster relief with the American Red Cross, your two weeks of service can make all the difference to communities. Visit redcross.org/deployhope to get started.
Waipouli Beach, Kauai, Hawaii
Sheleasa pictured at the beach on her day off while deployed to Hawaii in September 2026.
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