A Quiet Presence After the Storm
In the aftermath of deadly Hurricane Helene in 2024, an American Red Cross volunteer noticed a boy sitting quietly in a shelter in Macon, Georgia.
What began as a simple observation became something deeply meaningful.

“There was a family that was in desperate need, and they had a child who they said didn’t talk to anyone,” recalls Disaster Mental Health Volunteer Leslie Grant. “And I said, ‘May I try talking with him?’ And I sat down on the floor. He was rolling a little car back and forth to himself. And I sat down about 10 feet away. And I just sat there.
“And then I moved a little closer, and I slowly moved closer. And he rolled his car to me. And I introduced myself. And he rolled the car; we rolled it back and forth.
Read more