10 Lives That Were Forever Changed Thanks to the Power of Generosity

Lights delivered door-to-door in the darkness of a hurricane

When Hurricane Harvey hit Texas, Reader’s Digest wrote about these moving, dramatic rescues. The spirit of serving can be incredibly moving. Here is a story from Annalysa Longworth, a survivor of Hurricane Maria, in her own words: “The total 36 hours of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico was undoubtedly the scariest event we’ve ever gone through in our lives. Our house sits on the north-west coast of Rincón where I rode out the storm with my boyfriend, Javi, and our three dogs. In the darkness, over 100 mph winds changed direction causing a tremendous amount of water flooding our house. The only place left dry and safe was our kitchen floor, where we were forced to ride out the rest of the storm. I laid blankets on the cold damp tile, and we huddled together clenching the only flashlight we had at the time. The downstairs of our home had blown out from underneath us, leaving nothing but its structure with walls, doors, and windows scattered around the yard. It’s been 50 days since the storm, and we are still without power and water. During our regular afternoon showers, we are ecstatic to collect rainwater but are quickly reminded of the people living without roofs, and how devastating it must be for them. Our emotions are consistently in a state of confusion. Recently, our good friends approached us downtown to tell us about a video interview they were doing with Watts of Love, a solar light company. Watts of Love generously gave us a headlamp (which illuminates an entire room) for our personal use and a box with 50 headlamps to distribute throughout our town. Rincón was completely blacked out so making a simple walk through a parking lot to your car is dangerous and impossible. We used to have to rush to get things done before sunset, but now I can continue daily chores in the dark. What changed our lives most was being able to share this gift with others. We delivered the lamps house by house to the people in the mountains who needed them most, as even batteries and candles are scarce. Even though supplies have trickled in, people have been out of work and can’t afford to pay their electric bill. I’ll always be grateful to Watts of Love for allowing us to pay it forward and be witnesses to the smiles that light can bring.”

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