Local performer GK Reginold navigates a motorised fishing boat through Colombo's suburbs, hoping to bring food and water to those in desperate need.
Many families, Mr Reginold says, have gone without help for days, cut off by the country's most severe weather disaster in recent years.
Cyclone Ditwah lashed the country last week, causing catastrophic floods and landslides that killed more than 400 people, left hundreds unaccounted for and destroyed 20,000 homes.
But the deluge has also inspired a rise in community help, as people face what the president has described as the "gravest natural disaster" in its history.
"My primary motivation why I wanted to do this, is to at least ensure they get one meal," he shares. "And I was deeply gratified that I was able to do that."
More than one million people have been affected by the disaster and a state of emergency has been declared.
The military has sent helicopters for rescue operations, while humanitarian aid is arriving from international partners and aid groups.
But it will be a lengthy process to recovery for Sri Lanka, which has seen its fair share of turmoil in recent years.
Community Organizers Volunteer at Community Kitchen
In Colombo's Wijerama neighbourhood, individuals who demonstrated in 2022 are now operating a community kitchen that churns out meals.
The demonstrations from three years ago were driven by a spiralling economic crisis that caused shortages of fuel, food and medicine. Public anger exploded and led to political change. Now, that civic energy is being channelled toward cyclone relief.
"People came after work, some took turns and some even took leave to be there," one organizer explains.
"We mobilized our network as soon as we heard what was happening last Thursday," he says.
The organizer also views the kitchen as an "continuation" of his volunteer work in 2016, when heavy rains and floods affected hundreds across the country.
Volunteers have gathered hundreds of requests for help, sent the information to authorities, and managed the delivery of food.
"Every request we made, we got an overwhelming amount in response from the community," he says.
Digital Initiatives for Aid
A wave of coordination is also happening online, where netizens have created a public database to channel resources and volunteers.
Another community-run website helps donors find shelters and identify what is in highest demand in those areas.
Local businesses have launched donation drives, while local television channels have initiated an effort to provide food and basic necessities like soap and toothbrushes.
Facing criticism over the handling of preparations, the president has urged citizens to "put aside all political differences" and "come together to rebuild the nation".
Critics have accused authorities of disregarding forecasts, which they say worsened the disaster's impact.
Recently, opposition lawmakers staged a walkout in parliament, claiming that the ruling party was trying to restrict debate on the disaster.
In affected communities, however, there remains a sense of togetherness as people pick up the pieces after the floods.
"In the end, the joy of helping someone else to save lives makes that tiredness fade," one volunteer wrote after putting in long hours at relief sites.
"Disasters are not new to us. But, the empathy and size of our hearts is greater than the destruction that occurs during a disaster."
