When Terri Johnson fled her New Orleans home for a safe shelter in Fort Worth, she had something on her mind other than the oncoming Hurricane Gustav: her son’s first birthday. Christopher Lewis was turning one and she feared that she’d have to overlook his birthday due to the extenuating circumstances.

But the people at the Fort Worth shelter refused to let that happen. Gathering funds of their own, they arranged a proper birthday for Christopher Lewis, complete with balloons, cake, an animated movie, party favors and gifts. It was positive news for Terri and her son, amidst the concerns of the impending storm.

“They surprised me with this. This is wonderful,” Johnson said through sobs. “I feel more happy than he is.”

The director of operations at the shelter, Becky Wach, explained that it’s important for the evacuees to feel a sense of normalcy during a stressful time, so this party is just what the doctor ordered.

“Our mission is always to reach out to those who need us the most,” Wach said. “We wanted to try to make it feel like home as much as we could.”

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