Delaware woman collects supplies for Hawaii as she searches for family displaced by wildfires
For the past week, she has been filling a trailer in her driveway with food, clothes, toiletries, and more to send to Hawaii.
NEW CASTLE COUNTY, Delaware (WPVI) -- A Delaware woman who lived in Hawaii for 30 years is hoping to hear from lost relatives soon as wildfires in Maui destroyed her childhood home and displaced members of her family.
Joy Billings, who now lives in New Castle County, grew up in Hawaii, as did three generations before her.
For the past week, she has been trying to fill a trailer in her driveway with food, clothes, toiletries, toilet paper, and anything she can get her hands on to help people in her hometown.
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She's also searching for lost family.
"This is my grandfather," she said while pointing to a book put together for a family reunion back in 2008.
It details the generations of her family with pictures dating back decades.
"So many historic monuments, churches, the Hawaiian culture, lost. All burnt," she said. "Who can I reach out to, who can I call? Every day I'm looking at the shelters to see if I recognize someone there. I don't know what to do."
"Right now, we're working to move those displaced residents into hotels and out of shelters," said Alana Mauger, regional communications manager for the Red Cross in Southeastern Pennsylvania.
She says the Red Cross has 400 workers on the ground helping people in Hawaii. There are also seven volunteers in Southeastern Pennsylvania manning reunification call centers to help people like Billings find their families.
"They will scour all of the information available from FEMA, from law enforcement, from Red Cross to try and identify and find that loved one," she explained.
In the meantime, Billings is asking for others to keep Hawaiians in their thoughts as they reel from this tragedy.
"Please don't forget the people of Lahaina, Maui. They're still looking for them," said Billings. "I know where my strength is and every prayer Adonai hears, and if more people can pray, please."
The next challenge for Billings is how she's going to get supplies to Hawaii.
She's trying to do send them soon, but with transportation to the island so difficult, she's hoping for some help.
To see how you can help Maui fire victims from afar, click here.
