When Elysee Kazadi received an order to evacuate his own North Spokane home during the region’s August 2026 wildfires, he responded by reporting to a Red Cross shelter to help others facing the same crisis. Kazadi, a resettled refugee who has volunteered with the American Red Cross since 2020, provided critical support to fellow evacuees, including communicating directly with Swahili-speaking refugees and immigrants. By choosing to serve while confronting his own displacement, Kazadi extended to others the same kind of community support that once helped him build a new life in Spokane.