SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY, Pa. — "They just reopened the road through town in the burn zone a few days ago and that's quite emotional for us to be able to drive by our old house, you know, for the first time," said Matt Jenkins.
From ash and rubble to signs of rebuilding, it's been more than a year since Jenkins and his family lost everything after their home was one of thousands destroyed by wildfires in Maui.
"We have had to move seven different times over the past year, which presents its unique set of challenges with the six of us, my wife, four kids myself. But we're, we're doing our best like everyone else to navigate through the challenges," said Jenkins.
Since the devastation, Jenkins and his family are taking things one day at a time.
And along the way he's seen an outpouring of support from across the world and his hometown.
"Just so many people, countless people from, um, my hometown of Clifford and my high school mountain view," said Jenkins. "It's been amazing and it's really helped to lift us up and get us back on our feet."
Today, Jenkins and his family are still working to find a permanent place to call home.
"That's always been a challenge on this small island, but now it's incredibly difficult with the lack of inventory after the fire," said Jenkins.
But he plans to keep pushing forward, recovering with his family and the entire island.
"It's tough being on a small island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. I think sometimes it's easy, you know, out of sight, out of, out of mind," said Jenkins. "So having people be aware of what's happening here means a lot, you know, and, hopefully, you know, it won't be forgotten anytime soon."