Chilata Brown stands in her new apartment, rebuilding her life after a devastating fire destroyed her home and the irreplaceable memories it contained.
When disaster strikes, the American Red Cross helps families take their first steps toward recovery.
But what happens next?
Long after the emergency response ends, survivors are often left navigating insurance claims, replacing belongings, finding stable housing, managing financial pressure and coping with the emotional impact of losing a home by themselves.
Recovery can take months. Often, it takes years.
Recognizing that need, the American Red Cross has partnered with Our Front Porch, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping disaster survivors navigate the long-term challenges that follow home fires and other disasters. Through a warm handoff model, survivors are connected to resources, education and support designed to help them rebuild both practically and emotionally.
For survivors like Erik Kurens and Chalita Brown, that support has made all the difference.
When Recovery Becomes a Marathon
Nearly two years after a fire damaged his family's home, Erik Kurens was finally moving back in.
The fire turned his family's life upside down overnight. Suddenly, a family that had spent almost two decades building a life together found themselves displaced, navigating insurance paperwork, construction delays and difficult decisions they never expected to face.
At first, Erik thought the process would be straightforward. Instead, he discovered there was no roadmap for what came next. "We realized there's no playbook for this," he said.
Every step seemed to present a new challenge. Contractors changed. Timelines stretched from months into years. Insurance processes were filled with unfamiliar terms, requirements and deadlines. The stress began to mount.
Like many people, Erik initially resisted the idea of seeking emotional support. "I don't like opening up. I never liked opening up," he said.
Through Our Front Porch, he connected with Maggie Babyak, a counselor and co-founder of the organization. What began as cautious conversations eventually became a turning point in his recovery.
"I can say without any hyperbole that I don't know where I would be without her," Erik said.
Over time, he learned new ways to manage stress, process his emotions and navigate challenges that often felt overwhelming.
"I woke up one day and thought, 'I've got this,'" he recalled.
The experience transformed more than his approach to recovery. It changed how he viewed the world. He found himself developing a deeper sense of empathy for others experiencing loss, homelessness and hardship.
"I look at people differently now," he said. "I definitely consider myself to be a better person."
Today, while the rebuilding process continues, Erik says he has gained something he never expected: the confidence and tools to handle whatever comes next.
"It's okay to get help from people. It's okay to talk to people. It's okay to be vulnerable," he said.
Finding Hope After Losing Everything
For Chalita Brown, the recovery journey looked different but was no less challenging.
In March, a fire destroyed roughly 90% of the belongings she had accumulated during 30 years in the same apartment. Family heirlooms, artwork, travel souvenirs and memories built over decades were suddenly gone.
"When I left home Thursday night, I had a home," Brown recalled. "When I came back Friday, I didn't."
The fire came during an already overwhelming season of life.
Brown was grieving the loss of her mother, battling stage IV ovarian cancer, navigating the end of a 25-year marriage and dealing with depression. "Before I can get to that point to deal with one thing, another thing happens," she said. "Now I'm on this roller coaster ride, and I don't even like roller coasters."
The American Red Cross responded with immediate assistance and resources following the fire. Through that support, Brown was connected with Our Front Porch. Each week, she met with other fire survivors who understood the trauma, grief and anxiety that follow a devastating loss. "We inspire one another, basically," Brown said.
Those conversations helped her learn coping strategies, manage triggers and begin rebuilding her life. For Brown, the impact was profound.
"Our Front Porch saved my life," she said. "I believe if it wasn't for Our Front Porch, I wouldn't be here."
Today, she lives in a new apartment that she has made entirely her own. The healing continues, but Brown believes she’s in a good place.
"When I moved here, I didn't care if I was going to sleep on the floor or not," she said. "I just knew I had peace."
Closing the Recovery Gap
The stories of Erik and Chalita are different, but both discovered that disaster recovery extends far beyond the first few days after a fire.
"It's really a two-year recovery process that people don't pay attention to," said Babyak.
That insight is what inspired the creation of Our Front Porch more than a decade ago. The organization was built around a simple question: What happens after the emergency response ends? Working directly with survivors, the team developed resources focused on insurance navigation, renter and homeowner rights, consumer protection and emotional wellness.
"Historically, people would fall through the cracks after the initial response, into chaos," Kuntz said. "We step in to help stabilize them and guide them through what comes next."
The partnership reflects a broader commitment by the Red Cross to provide not only immediate relief, but a pathway toward long-term recovery.
"This program is exactly the direction the Red Cross is moving, less transactional and more individualized, with a true warm handoff," said Lynn Moxley of the American Red Cross.
Because while the fire may last only a few hours, the journey back can take years.
And for survivors like Erik and Chalita, having someone to walk beside them during that journey can make all the difference.
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