(soft music)(laughing)

- [Narrator] Nicole Ellis is a single mom

who shares a special bondwith her daughter Shiloh.

- She's the best friend I've ever had.

It's like watching myself grow up.

- [Narrator] Nicole and Shiloh live

just outside Dayton, Ohio.

They've seen many storms but one night

as Nicole tucked her daughter into bed

something felt different.

- [Nicole] I had heard thehail hitting the window.

Right when I went to lookI heard just a crack.

- The power went out.

- I told her it's timeto get in the basement

and we all ran straightdown to the basement.

- And then it hit.(crackling)

- [Narrator] Moments later,one of the many tornadoes

that broke out around Dayton

tore through Nicole's neighborhood.

- You could hear the transformers poppin'.

It almost sounded like gunshot.

Just pop, pop, pop, pop, pop.

- It was really scary.

It's kinda like a movie.

It's, ooh, it's a lot to take in.

- [Nicole] But you reallydidn't know how bad it was

until we walked outside after it was over.

- [Narrator] Destruction was everywhere.

Nicole tries to staystrong for her daughter

but it isn't easy.

- Yesterday I was havin' a meltdown.

I was talkin' to her about it

and I was tryin' to explainit and then she said,

but, no matter what,every day, you have me,

and I love you to the moon and back.

I was so proud of her.

- [Narrator] The love Nicoleand her daughter share

will get them through this

but they still had a yardfilled with downed trees.

- [Nicole] I've never in my 45 years

been through anything like this.

- [Narrator] That's when volunteers

from Operation Blessing showedup in their neighborhood.

- They're just here to help

and it's been an absolute blessing.

- I'm so thankful for you guys.

You guys are pickin' up trees.

You're pickin' up all thedebris and I'm so happy.

- It made me tingle inside

because you're just a groupof people here to help

and I've just feltnothin' but joy all day.

I thank everybody who has ever donated

to Operation Blessing.

Anything that you can do

makes the biggest impactin so many people's lives.

It's ginormous and I'm so thankful.