By David Strom, American Red Cross

Many of us fear a lightning strike on our home, and the Grillo family was faced with the reality of this circumstance. On a night in May 2025, their Wentzville, Missouri home was hit, and within a few minutes, the roof of their house collapsed, basically destroying the entire home. The Grillo family fled their home and left all their possessions behind.

“We really lost everything,” mom Sandy Grillo recalled. “When I arrived back at our home early the next morning, there were several people from the Red Cross. They seemed like angels that just appeared. They were kind and caring and provided so much information and assistance when we were so overwhelmed and shocked.”

 The Red Cross volunteers arrived with a gift card to enable the family members, which includes a teenage boy and girl, to purchase some essential items and new clothing. They also provided support and assistance including recommended first steps such as “getting new medications refilled and collecting contact information. These items were so helpful because these were things we hadn't even thought of yet,” Sandy said. 

For Sandy the most unexpected thing the volunteers did was show up that morning, bearing gifts. “They came on the scene that first day bearing two stuffed teddy bears, one for each child. While you wouldn't think that two teenagers would care about a stuffed animal, the fact that they didn't have anything and they were being given something that was immediately theirs made a big impact and provided some comfort. It was a very sweet thing to do.”

“We always knew that the Red Cross helped people but we didn’t have any previous experience with them personally until they arrived at our house,” Sandy shared. “They were absolutely a godsend and helped make those first days seem a little less overwhelming. It was also heartwarming to see how much these amazing individuals that we have never met cared about us.”

Their house is being repaired and the Grillo family hopes to move back into their home this fall.