More to life

When the Marshall wildfires ravaged my Colorado community in December 2021, I felt completely helpless. I was beyond thankful my family and home were safe, but so many others — my friends and neighbors — had experienced an immeasurable tragedy. 

This was my community, and my heart told me I needed to help. You take care of the community that nurtures you. 

I first experienced this during my undergraduate years at UD.

I came to campus from just down the road in Cincinnati with  hopes of playing volleyball, but I injured my back my senior year of high school. What was at first a heartbreaking blow turned into a blessing because I was able to then find my true passion. After taking several art and design classes, I decided to study visual communication design.

Since I didn’t have practices, travel and games, I had more free time to explore student clubs. My sophomore year, I went on the More to Life Retreat through Campus Ministry and fell in love with the community of individuals. I felt like I was a part of something special.

I feel like I turned into me. 

I was so embraced and met lifelong friends who were committed to goodness, kindness and inclusiveness. I found my community, and they made me a better person.

Fast forward two decades: I’ve made a life in Colorado with my husband and two children. I own a graphic design business, designing for businesses in my local community, as well as national and international clients. When the fires started so quickly, I realized this beautiful community I’ve grown to love and this life we’ve built here could be gone in an instant. 

Thousands of people from nearby neighborhoods were displaced. Most were forced to live in hotels for months. I knew how cramped and uncomfortable hotel living was, after having relocated with my family of four to Colorado. Three weeks of using tiny bottles of shampoo, having no storage and eating out every night was miserable. When one person can’t sleep, nobody can sleep. 

Families were trying to cope with the heartbreaking trauma of losing their homes, fighting with insurance companies and making plans to either start the enormous task of rebuilding or move away. I just wanted to help in any way. 

Families were trying to cope with the heartbreaking trauma of losing their homes, fighting with insurance companies and making plans to either start the enormous task of rebuilding or move away.

That’s when Operation Hotel Sanity was born. I made a post on a community Facebook page asking for help. It received a tremendous response. After some organizing, nearly 100 volunteers began delivering homecooked meals, supplies and notes of encouragement to families in an estimated 18 hotels.

The families were grateful for the outpouring of love. One thing I hope they took away from it was that there is hope, with their community always there for them.

 Now, nearly two years later, many of our volunteers and the families they helped still talk every week. Once you find your community, the one that supports you, those are your people.And I really know what that is like. I found that at Dayton, and I’ve been lucky enough to find it again in my community here. 

As told to Nicole L. Craw

Illustration by Zachary Ghaderi