By Scott Marder, American Red Cross
About a dozen people had gathered along the side of the road on Kauaʻi’s North Shore. They stood talking and laughing, some settling into a few chairs nearby. Most seemed to know one another.
At the center of the gathering was a tiny gray Love Bubble Coffee cart powered by solar panels.
A banner stretched across its side offered free Starlink internet. Nearby signs pointed to free hot meals and volunteer parking. People could charge their phones and computers, connect to the internet and get a cup of coffee.
“It’s just become like a central hub for being able to feel a little bit normal for a second,” said Tyler Jeffries, founder of Love Bubble Coffee. “A hot cup of coffee, having a choice. Do you want it hot or cold? Would you like oat milk?”
Jeffries, 41, was born and raised on Kauaʻi. After Hurricane Lowell, he initially took his solar-powered coffee cart to Kīlauea to help a friend who needed electricity. Then he heard that people farther along the North Shore needed power too.
“I just got the call the other day that they needed some help down here and they could use some power,” he said.
He gathered what he could and headed out.
“I was actually coming down here to give people power, and coffee’s just a bonus,” he said.
A donated Starlink system was connected to the cart, providing internet access for residents. People began plugging in computers and other devices.
Jeffries figures he served about 100 cups of coffee the first day and even more the next. He eventually lost count.
The roadside gathering was just one part of a larger community response that Jeffries said began even before the hurricane arrived. Neighbors checked on one another and made plans for who might need help.
After the storm passed, residents used side-by-sides to reach people when internet and other communications were unavailable. “You know, going to the kūpuna’s house first, making sure they’re okay, making sure they’re safe, and then just checking off the list, box by box,” Jeffries said.
In the days that followed, residents continued sharing what they had and responding to needs as they arose. Medical professionals had come to the area that day to help residents, Jeffries said.
“It’s just amazing,” he said. “The way the hui and the family, it just comes together down here, is top notch, and, you know, it wouldn’t be possible if it wasn’t for the group effort of all of us.”
The North Shore has been through disasters before, including the destructive flooding of 2018. That experience matters when another disaster strikes.
“It’s not our first rodeo,” Jeffries said.
American Red Cross disaster workers were also making their way through North Shore communities, distributing cleanup kits, rakes and shovels, coolers filled with bottled water, food, lanterns, batteries, gloves, rubber boots and other emergency supplies. Along the way, there were plenty of conversations, smiles and hugs with residents.
Jeffries had seen Red Cross teams coming through the area for several days.
“We’re just super fortunate that you guys are out here,” he said. “We’re not the only ones dealing with chaos in the state of Hawaiʻi right now. We’re just super appreciative for all the help, and we couldn’t thank you guys enough.”
But Jeffries doesn’t see what he is doing as particularly remarkable. He had a solar-powered coffee cart, his neighbors needed power and he found a way to help.
“I’m just a little sand in the bucket over here,” he said. “I just happened to have a solar-powered coffee cart and wasn’t even thinking about doing this, and it just came about. But I’m so happy to be here.”
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