How To Help Those Affected By Hawaii Wildfires

 Tim Harris

Published: August 11, 2023

Thousands of Maui residents left their homes to escape the threat of deadly, raging wildfires ripping across the island. Dozens of people were killed in the fire. The historic town of Lahaina was severely impacted.

At least 1,000 buildings were estimated to have been damaged or destroyed. Residents have lost their homes, their businesses and their livelihoods. Officials say it will take years to rebuild.

Here are ways you can help community members survive and rebuild:

How To Donate Online

-The Hawaii Community Foundation is using money donated to its “Maui Strong Fund” to assist those affected by the recent fire. Donations can be made quickly through their online platform — there is a minimum online donation of $25. Click here to donate.

-Maui United Way is also accepting online donations. They say monetary donations will be distributed among nonprofits working at the forefront of relief efforts and directly to some impacted families and individuals. Click here to donate.

-The Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement (CNHA) is a nonprofit focused on the well-being and development of Native Hawaiian communities. The group has leveraged several corporate sponsors to launch a donation-matching campaign of up to $250,000. That means every dollar donated will be matched by a corporate sponsor up to that amount. This is an opportunity to effectively double your monetary impact. Click here to donate.

-The Maui Food Bank has asked for monetary donations to support their emergency grocery and meal distribution in the wake of the horrific fires. They say that every dollar donated allows them to offer four meals to someone in need. Click here to donate.

-The Maui Humane Society said they are over capacity and expect to be inundated with burned or lost animals. Those on the island can offer to be an “SOS Foster” in this emergency situation. But, those not on the island can still help with relief efforts for affected furry friends. The society has asked those who are able to purchase some items from their Amazon wish list to help with necessary life-saving medical treatments and recovery. They are also accepting monetary donations for their efforts. Click here to donate.

-​The American Red Cross is also on-scene to assist with relief. Disaster workers have opened two shelters in Hawaii where displaced people can go for shelter and care. The group is accepting donations to help with their efforts. Click here to donate.

How To Donate In Person

-If you’re on the island of Maui and wish to help monetarily, you can visit one of Maui County’s verified donation sites. If you wish to donate essential goods like nonperishable food, bottled water, hygiene items or blankets, you can visit the War Memorial Complex between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Thursday. It’s unclear if that location will operate as a donation site beyond Thursday. Click here to see the latest official updates from Maui County.

-The Ka Hale A Ke Ola Homeless Resource Centers had to evacuate their shelter due to the fires and have asked for donations of blankets, pillows and towels for the families who had to evacuate. In a Facebook post, the group asked anyone who can safely do so to drop donations off at their 670 Waiale Road center.

-In addition to monetary donations, the Maui Food Bank has set up a number of sites for food to be both accepted and distributed. If you’re donating food, a list of requested food items can be found here. As of Thursday morning, there were four locations on the island of Maui where meals and groceries were being distributed. Emergency food distribution locations can be found here. You can also volunteer your time and work with the Maui Food Bank. Sign up for volunteer time here.

The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.

The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.