Lahania, Hawaii - Ronnie Brandt

Hi, my name is Melody, I live in Maryland and I am setting up this gofund page for my son Ronnie Maui, Hawaii. He spent the last two years building a life in Lahaina, HI. In a matter of 24 hours, he and several of his friends lost EVERYTHING in the devastating fires there. I had spoken with him the day before...he was settled in. He was happy. He was busy. He was comfortable. He had friends he called family. In Maui, they do things to help each other. The devastating fires displaced thousands of people, destroyed properties, and claimed the lives of many. Life there will never be the same. Ronnie was able to evacuate. He and his dog River found safety as the fires raged, BUT he lost everything. His home and his belongings. Fortunately, he and River are safe.

When I got the chance to speak to him, I asked Ronnie if he wanted to come home. He said, "No Mom, I want to help the people here. Me and my friends have started to plan what we can do to help. Right now I'm just trying to provide emotional support to people. There is panic here. There is shock and sadness. When things settle down we are going to help the locals here to rebuild their lives." I said, "What can I do, how can I help? Do you need money?" He said, "Yes, I will need money to buy supplies for me and the people here."

So here I am, a broken-hearted mother who can do nothing but watch the news and pray for the people I don't know, who touched the life of my son. I am proud of who he has become. He is a helper. As my brother said, "he is a leader". I sent him the quote from Mr. Rodgers. He said, "When I was a boy I would see scary things in the news. My mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.

Today, Ronnie is a helper.

So if you feel led, please help me, help him, help others.

Thank you.