by Rich Byam

When fast-moving wildfires ignited and swept through Hawaii in August 2023, Rich Byam of Chelmsford was one of hundreds of American Red Crossers who put their lives on hold and raised their hand to help.

Rich is a trained shelter supervisor and experienced Disaster Action Team member as well as a member of the Northeast Massachusetts Mass Care team. In Hawaii, he was assigned to the Red Cross shelter at the Hawaii Convention Center on Honolulu. That’s where Rich met Chris Phillips.

“We have this place that's been keeping a roof over everybody's head so far,” Phillips told Byam. “[We’re] being fed and [we have] showers and clothes, everything that you can really ask for right now in a time like this. I'm already just trying to figure out something for myself now. You know what I mean? [The shelter is] giving me time to kind of focus on other things that I could be doing right now, rather than just on the streets right now.”

Phillips and his friends moved from an apartment on Front Street in Lahaina further out of town to escape the smoke and flames. At night, with the power out in the area, he said the sky was glowing red, so he and his friends went to get a better look at Lahaina from the outskirts of the city.

“We thought, maybe a few buildings are on fire, maybe a few more buildings are on fire,” Phillips said. “But when we got to that lookout point, every single piece of lawn, every house, every tree, every single thing, all the way to the ocean and all the way down was on fire.”

Within the first six months of the Hawaii Wildfires Disaster Relief Operation, the Red Cross had reached an estimated 32,750 people with disaster relief and recovery services; but the effects of climate change means disasters like this are increasing in frequency and intensity. The Red Cross is now launching nearly twice as many relief operations for major disasters than we did a decade ago.

The Red Cross is on the front lines of the climate crisis – and you can help support this lifesaving work in three ways.

Volunteer your time Join us to provide relief and hope when it matters most. Visit redcross.org/volunteertoday to sign up for opportunities right here in Massachusetts. Our most-needed disaster positions include supporting shelters and providing health services.

Consider a financial donation Over the next several years, the Red Cross needs to spend at least $1 billion on its climate crisis work, which encompasses disaster relief, new international programs on climate response and preparedness, and sustainability efforts to minimize its own environmental footprint.

Spread the word Follow us on social media to keep up to date about the Red Cross of Massachusetts and share our stories with your networks. It is the support of informed advocates that make the work of the Red Cross possible.