In remembrance of the Maui Wildfires that swept through Lahaina, the Hawaii Red Cross will be presenting stories from residents and volunteers as they were reported during the initial days and weeks of response efforts. Some of these stories originally appeared online, through news coverage or on social media; other stories are being presented for the first time. We hope to treat every story as both a remembrance and a lesson on how best to respond to those in need.

Many Red Cross volunteers serve because disaster has touched their lives. Their personal history and the history of their community are proof that resiliency is needed to recover and rebuild. Elsa Ecsedy is a Maui resident with a perspective of what can be learned from tragedy and what the responsibility is of those who carry on.

We want to be sure that every community is represented and given a voice in how volunteering can contribute in the most effective way. Learn more about being a part of community resilience by visiting redcross.org/Hawaii.

“I saw service in my mom and in my grandmother. It affected me and made me want to serve others as well. It was modeled to me, so it just comes naturally,” said Elsa Ecsedy of Maui, Hawaii.

During her lunch break, Elsa stopped by the American Red Cross headquarters to see how she could lend a hand in the disaster relief operation following the devastating wildfires in Lahaina. She is the retail manager at a local store and knows first-hand how deeply her co-workers, family, and neighbors have been affected by the wildfire disaster.

Elsa’s love for her community and desire to help, made her a perfect fit to join the Red Cross team of Event-Based Volunteers, local community members who’ve witnessed a disaster and raise their hands to support relief efforts.

“Several of our employees were affected. They lost everything the night it happened. They returned home to find out there was nothing left for them,” she said. “Immediately following the wildfire, the shelves at the store were bare, but my company quickly resupplied to help. My company has really taken care of their employees and our people.”

Elsa was flooded with memories of a disaster she experienced when the wildfire swept the island.

“It broke my heart, because I remember what we had to go through and scramble after the big hurricane when I was a teenager. But help came.”

Hurricane Eva devastated Elsa’s home on Kauai in 1982, the day before Thanksgiving, when Elsa was a Junior in high school. After the storm, all the roads were blocked by downed powerlines. The entire area was without power or water for two months.

Elsa’s mother, Dee Dee, was a local volunteer working closely with the Red Cross. Her family began distributing water and relief supplies to older people in the area. They also dug a dozen Imus, small pits in the ground, to cook Thanksgiving turkeys Hawaiian style with banana leaves.

“I was the Red Cross youth president of Hawaii at that time, and we oversaw watching the children for relief volunteers,” Elsa recalls a need she helped fulfill for her community. “We babysat the children so their parents could sit down with FEMA and the Red Cross to register for disaster relief and get the help they needed.”

Today, in the aftermath of this wildfire disaster, Elsa is connecting with people who come into her store and sharing information on how they can access assistance. “I ask them, what’s your story, and urge them to express their feelings. I direct them to the Red Cross Family Assistance Center.”

With a deep understanding of the local culture, Elsa can appreciate why some residents are reluctant to seek assistance.

“In our culture, we rely on Ohana, the concept that we’re all family, and we come together to care for each other in times of crisis. I know families who are living three, or four generations in the same one-bedroom house. They’re determined to take care of each other, but I can imagine the toll on them right now,” Elsa empathizes with impacted families. “At some point, they’re going to need help. So, even if they just put their names on the registry, any type of assistance will bring some sense of relief.”

The American Red Cross has been on Maui since before the wildfire began and continues to provide relief in the aftermath, working with partners to provide safe lodging, meals, disaster health, and mental health services, and spiritual care to families and individuals as they begin to recover. In the weeks and months ahead, the Red Cross will remain on the ground to partner with the community providing services throughout the healing process.

“I’ve had people speculate that I’m so involved because of survivor’s guilt. But I don’t have survivor’s guilt; I have survivor’s manao —survivor’s wisdom,” Elsa encourages her community to reach out to the Red Cross for support. “I know from experience that we will get through this, and the Red Cross will help us heal and recover. I would say to those affected, sit down with a caseworker and tell your story to the Red Cross. They will provide the help you need.”