Lahaina Wildfires
On August 8, a wildfire broke out on the island of Maui. The high winds from a passing hurricane fueled the flames, causing them to spread rapidly. Unfortunately, the fast moving pace of the fire and the lack of advanced warning had residents scrambling to evacuate and even jumping into the ocean. The historic town of Lahaina was decimated in the fire, with residents returning to rubble and shells of vehicles. While rebuilding will take years, the residents of the community need help.
We have personally visited this town when on vacation in Hawaii during the summer of 2022. We spoke with a local resident and business owner, Kekoa Langford, when he commented on Tara's shirt. We spent 45 minutes talking to him about his story, his family, the roots he has in the community, and Hawai'i's relationship with the U.S. government - all before he even mentioned that his business is booking trips for tourists. We booked a Road to Hana Tour with his company, Aloha Maui Adventure Tours, so our whole family (a group of 9) could ride together in one vehicle, and it did not disappoint.
A GoFundMe has been set up for Kekoa, he personally messaged this link/fund, to support him for the next 6-12 months while he helps rebuild the community and fight for the rights and needs of the local Lahaina residents to be prioritized during that process.
Below is a list of places listed on the r/Maui subreddit where donations are most needed:
Financial Donations
Hawaii Community Foundation Maui Strong Fund
UHF UH Maui College Faculty and Staff Aid
Physical Goods Donations
On Maui:
Pacific Birth Collective: ISO baby items on Maui for affected parents. Info here
Grassroots community organizing for supporting if you are on Maui:
Blue Hawaiian Helicopters at OGG; call 808-831-8800 before going to determine if there is need.
On Oahu:
Hawaii Stevedores will be holding a donation drive on Saturday August 12th at 8 AM, Pier 1, Forrest Avenue Honolulu HI 96814. They are accepting non-perishable food items and bottle water, as well as lightly used/new towels & blankets. More info.
Hawaii State Capitol 415 S. Beretania St. Thursday, August 10th & Friday, August 11th 10AM - 2PM, requesting Toiletries, Diapers formula and toys, Clothing, Bedding, Household goods, Non-perishable food, Bottled water is discouraged at this time due to weight constraints
All Islands:
In Person Volunteering
Additional Information
