By Catie Ballenger, American Red Cross
Sometimes it takes something difficult to remind us just how powerful family and community can be, and how much kōkua, helping one another, truly matters.
Hawaiʻi experienced its worst flooding in more than 20 years after a series of Kona Low storms brought days of relentless rain. In some communities, more than a foot of rain fell, sending water rushing through neighborhoods, sweeping homes off their foundations, carrying cars from driveways and leaving behind thick, reddish volcanic mud coating floors, walls and everything families owned. Hundreds of homes were damaged, along with schools and a hospital.
When the storms passed, the danger may have eased, but the hardship did not. Families were left to face the overwhelming reality of what remained. For many, it was not just a home to clean up. It was everything they had lost.
Among them was Jeremiah and Shanna Hussey and their three young children.
For their middle child, Aziel, the experience was especially hard. Normally full of energy, he became quiet and withdrawn after the storm. In the rush to get to safety, he had to leave behind his favorite stuffed animal, a dalmatian named Shadow.
Jennifer, an American Red Cross night shelter manager, noticed the change right away. When she asked how she could help, Shanna shared how much Shadow meant to Aziel.
Jennifer knew she wanted to bring him comfort in a way he could understand.
She came up with a creative idea rooted in imagination and play. Her son, John, who is preparing to graduate from Army basic training, helped by recording a video of his unit moving through a muddy field. Jennifer shared the video with Aziel and gently encouraged him to imagine that his beloved stuffed animal was being rescued and would find its way back to him.
At the same time, a Red Cross volunteer found a stuffed dalmatian that looked just like Shadow.
When Jennifer gave Aziel the toy, she invited him to see it as his special friend returning to him. They named the stuffed dog Shadow 2.0. In that moment, something shifted.
His smile came back. His energy returned. Before long, he was laughing again and even started calling Jennifer “Auntie,” a term of love and respect in Hawaiʻi.
“I’ve seen a lot of hard days, but it’s the small moments that stay with you,” she said. “If we can help a child feel safe again, even for a little while, then we’re doing exactly what we’re meant to do.”
Jennifer was not the only one who made the shelter feel like home.
Wayne, another Red Cross volunteer, created a nightly routine the children came to cherish. Each evening, he would gather them together and read bedtime stories, giving families a sense of comfort and normalcy during an uncertain time.
“The storms took so much from these families,” Wayne said. “But we can still give them something. A little peace, a little comfort, a moment where they can just be kids again. That matters more than anything.”
Toys and games soon filled the space, laughter returned and, for a time, the shelter became more than just a place to stay.
Because of volunteers like Jennifer and Wayne, it became a place where families felt cared for, supported and not alone. A place where, even after so much loss, they could begin to feel at home again.
Meet the Volunteers Behind the Story
Jennifer, a Red Cross volunteer based in West Virgina, began her Red Cross journey two years ago after stepping away from her work as a paramedic. Helping others has always been part of who she is. A former firefighter and wildland firefighter, she knew she still had more to give and found a way to continue serving through the Red Cross.
In the two years since, Jennifer has deployed five times, including three responses in Florida and two in West Virginia, supporting communities during some of their most difficult moments.
“I’ve always felt called to help people, especially on their hardest days,” Jennifer said. “The Red Cross gives me a way to keep showing up for others when they need it most, and that means everything to me.”
Wayne, a Red Cross volunteer based in Texas, has been volunteering with the organization since 2005. Service has always been a defining part of his life. He served our country as an Army helicopter pilot, supporting search and rescue missions, and later brought that same commitment to his work as a professor and in health care organizations.
Today, Wayne continues to show up for others when they need it most. He regularly deploys with the Red Cross, supporting families as a shelter worker and helping them navigate the long road to recovery as a caseworker.
“A shelter is more than a place to sleep,” Wayne said. “It’s where families begin to feel safe again. If we can create even a small moment of comfort or routine, like a bedtime story, it helps people take that first step toward healing.”
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