She offers free child care after disasters. It’s a lifeline as families rebuild their lives.

She offers free child care after disasters. It’s a lifeline as families rebuild their lives.

This story was produced by The 19th and reprinted with permission. When Hurricane Helene swept through Kelsey Crabtree’s small hometown of Black Mountain, North Carolina, two years ago, its fierce winds uprooted a large tree that landed on the roof of her house, jolting her and her husband awake. She went into the living room and noticed a huge crack where water had started to pour in. The couple grabbed their two sons, dragged a spare mattress …