A Birthday Amid Disaster: Kindness Through Disaster Relief
July 29, 2026 | 9:30 a.m.
A 4-year-old’s birthday should be a memorable celebration. But when southeast Wisconsin saw historic flooding last August, Christopher’s day was threatened with the stress of recovery.
In the flood’s aftermath, Convoy of Hope’s Disaster Relief team met his family.
“They were scrambling after such drastic loss to try to figure out how to have a birthday party for him,” one team member recalled. “He had lost all of his toys.”
Convoy was distributing relief essentials throughout the region, including shelf-stable food, water, and hygiene supplies — and one of our team members wanted to see if there was a way to bring this family a little extra hope.
“We have emergency supplies for families, if a home burns down or something tragic happens,” the team member said. “And we just happened to have some Hot Wheels® cars and a train set.”
When he brought the gifts back to the family, Christopher’s mother immediately began to cry.
Before the flooding, she had planned her son a car-themed birthday party; a trainset had also been at the top of his wish list.
“I don’t know how to receive this,” she said. “I don’t know how to receive help.”
Convoy’s reply was simple.
“You open your hands.”
When a disaster threatens to define the day for a family, practical kindness makes all the difference. Through Disaster Relief, families around the world are equipped to begin recovery with essential support and much-needed care.
