Shannon Carley/American Red Cross

Melody Actouka first registered as a Red Cross volunteer in 2004 when she was living and working in Saipan as an educator. Over the years as a volunteer, she has responded to many typhoons and tropical storms in these islands. When Melody heard about Typhoon Bavi from her current home on the Big Island in Hawai‘i, she sprang into action and agreed to go back to the islands as quickly as possible.

Melody arrived on Guam before the storm hit on Saturday, July 4, just before the airport was closed for the storm. She then hunkered down with the rest of the island and waited for the Category 5 Super Typhoon to pass over. Bavi made landfall on July 5 with winds reaching 180-mph in the eye, which passed directly over Rota, a smaller island just north of Guam. This was the strongest storm to ever hit the island.

As soon as it was safe to do so, Melody went into the community and began identifying key relationships that would help the islands recover. Melody is on the ground as an External Relations Community Liaison, which means she works with other nonprofit, religious, and/or community organizations that are there to provide support alongside the Red Cross. This coordination and communication ensure all aid organizations are having the greatest impact possible and are able to reach the community members who need it most. Melody says, “I think it is really important for us all to be as prepared as possible to help each other and to engage in partnership with other organizations and agencies that have various roles to play.”

In the Pacific Islands these relationships are key to disaster response and recovery as additional aid takes longer to arrive than it does in the continental United States. This is why Melody says, “We need to be as independently prepared and resilient as possible.” Investing in local partnerships is critical to quickly and efficiently respond to disasters in the Pacific.

Having spent much of her life in CNMI, Melody says she feels “blessed to have been invited to participate” in the response effort. Melody is one of nearly 250 Red Cross staff members and volunteers responding to Typhoon Bavi from across the country. Of her fellow responders, Melody says, “regardless of where they come from, there is a huge heart and a lot of commitment to supporting these communities."

Between disasters, Melody focuses on disaster preparedness. Over the last several months on the Big Island, she has seen volcanic episodes and multiple storms, including the Kona Lows that hit the Hawaiian Islands in March. For Melody, these consistent disasters in Hawai‘i mirror the back-to-back typhoons Guam and CNMI are experiencing. The frequency of disasters, unique natural landscape and geographical isolation are characteristics Hawai‘i shares with its neighbors. Volunteers like Melody represent the Red Cross Pacific Islands Region mission to serve and support our neighbors throughout the Pacific.

“These are people that are very dear to my heart and folks that have so much in common with our whole Pacific community. We are all one big Pacific community [along] with Hawai‘i and American Samoa. There are many cultural attributes that we share and hold dear. We want to be able to support and empower each other to be as resilient as we possibly can be.” – Melody Actouka

To support the Red Cross response in Guam and CNMI you can donate by visiting redcross.org, calling 1- 800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767) or texting the word REDCROSS to 90999.  You can also help by becoming a volunteer. Get involved and register as a volunteer by visiting redcross.org/volunteer.

About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org/hawaii or follow us on social media.