By George McCrory & Brittany Russell, American Red Cross Volunteers

When winter storm Fern swept through Tennessee, Eleanor “Ellie” Kane and her husband were left in a silent, dark house as the power went out and temperatures inside their Madison home dropped into the 30s. For more than a day, they layered blanket upon blanket, trying to ride out the cold. But as forecasts warned temperatures would dip into the single digits, the danger became clear. “I was like, I’m not going to live if my power doesn’t come back on,” Kane said.

After 34 hours without heat, Kane and her husband, both managing health issues, made the difficult decision to leave. Daybreak Arts founder Nicole Brandt-Minyard, who had been checking on older and vulnerable artists, helped arrange transportation to the American Red Cross shelter at the Madison Community Center. “Just walking through the door was like this relief,” Kane said. “I am just so grateful this place is here.”

Originally from Staten Island, New York, Kane experienced homelessness for six months after moving to Nashville, followed by intermittent housing instability for five more years, a chapter of her life she said is now behind her. Through it all, she held onto small sources of comfort and stability. Before leaving home, Kane packed a backpack filled with sketch pens, markers and a sketchpad.

A member of Daybreak Arts, a Nashville-based nonprofit that supports artists experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity, Kane knows firsthand how creativity can ground you during uncertainty. Late at night in the quiet shelter hallways, she doodled freely, focusing on the process rather than the outcome. “It helps calm anxiety and takes the focus off anything negative going on in your life,” she said. “It’s like taking a piece of home with me.”

At the shelter, fear loosened its grip. Kane received medical care for a leg wound, and disaster-trained Red Cross volunteers went out of their way to help—making plates of food so she didn’t have to stand in line with her walker, offering conversation and creating a sense of community. Kane and her husband spent their days talking with other residents, playing cards and sketching while they waited for it to be safe to return home. “There are a lot of levels of care and concern here,” Kane said. “You start looking out for each other. It’s really been an awesome experience.”

If you or someone you know needs assistance following winter storm Fern, please call 1-800-RED-CROSS.