When Super Typhoon Sinlaku devastated Saipan earlier this year in April, thousands of families began the long process of rebuilding. Emergency shelters opened, relief supplies arrived, and government agencies began assessing damage.

But not every family fit neatly into the system.

One Marshallese-Chamorro family remained in a roofless home, caring for a young son with significant medical needs whose condition worsened in the tropical heat after the storm.

Their FEMA application had disappeared.

Weeks passed.

No one came.

Then members of Kōrā Menunak and Nito’s Wings arrived at their door in Mid-May.

“We have tried to be understanding, thinking perhaps they had other priorities,” the boy’s mother quietly told volunteers, according to Nito’s Wings.

Because of their son’s medical condition, the family had been unable to remain in a crowded emergency shelter. Instead, they built a temporary shelter beside their heavily damaged home, hoping relief would eventually arrive.

The boy experienced multiple seizures as temperatures climbed inside the makeshift shelter.

“They told us we were the first people to come and ask how they were doing,” a representative from Nito’s Wings told Chikin Melele.

Marshallese Helping Marshallese

The visit came after the matriarchs of Kōrā Menunak, a Marshallese community organization on Saipan, led Nito’s Wings volunteers through neighborhoods where Marshallese families had been affected by the storm.

The organization’s name reflects its mission.

In Marshallese, Menunak describes birds that have flown far from home but gather together to help one another.

For the volunteers, that meaning became reality.

Among those assisting was Linus Jr., a Marshallese community member working with FEMA, who investigated the family’s missing application and discovered it had been lost within the system.

Once the problem was identified, events moved quickly.

By the following day, the family received a temporary FEMA shelter and living kit. The crew that arrived to erect the shelter consisted entirely of Saipan firefighters, who had been working long hours helping their community recover from Super Typhoon Sinlaku.

Their crew supervisor—a Marshallese fire captain and the son of one of Kōrā Menunak—encouraged the volunteers to continue identifying families who may have been overlooked.

“Please let us know if you find any more families like this as you visit the community members,” he told the team.

Nito’s Wings also delivered donated relief supplies, including portable solar generators and solar-powered fans to help power medical equipment and reduce dangerous heat exposure.

The organization distributed seven portable solar generators intended to keep essential devices—including CPAP and BiPAP machines, cardiac monitors, and other medical equipment—operating during prolonged power outages.

The response brought together Marshallese community leaders, local firefighters, FEMA personnel, and nonprofit volunteers.

“It’s a special example of Marshallese helping Marshallese,” the representative said.

Stories Beyond the Headlines

The family’s experience reflects many of the stories Nito’s Wings heard while visiting Marshallese households across Saipan.

Unlike most typhoons, Super Typhoon Sinlaku lingered over Saipan for more than two days, exposing homes to prolonged hurricane-force winds and relentless rainfall.

Many families described the eerie silence when the eye passed overhead, knowing the destructive winds would soon return.

Others never found pieces of their roofs.

Even homes that remained standing suffered extensive water intrusion, leaving many residents concerned about mold and long-term health impacts.

Despite the destruction, no lives were lost—a fact volunteers described as remarkable.

Prepared for the Next Storm

This week, as Super Typhoon Bavi struck Rota and passed through the Marianas, the same community networks activated once again.

The representative confirmed to Chikin Melele that the families previously assisted by Nito’s Wings and Kōrā Menunak were safe following Bavi.

Although many residents remain without electricity or running water and reports indicate damage to crops and livestock, volunteers said they were grateful the solar-powered equipment delivered after Sinlaku continues helping families weather prolonged outages.

Additional relief supplies purchased by Nito’s Wings remain staged in Guam and are expected to support future recovery efforts.

A separate cargo vessel reportedly capsized during Super Typhoon Bavi, resulting in the loss of its cargo, highlighting the logistical challenges relief organizations continue to face across the region.

For the volunteers, the greatest lesson from the past several months has been the strength of relationships already rooted within the Marshallese community. Neighbors, firefighters, nonprofit organizations, churches, and government workers each played a role in ensuring vulnerable families were not left behind. When systems fail, communities often become the first responders.