My stomach has dropped more for nerves, emotions, and frustration in the telling hours and days surrounding August 8th. Spontaneous tears, laughter, nightmares, panic, and mental encumbrance have accompanied my latest days. Our family was prevented from traversing through the Island of Maui, back to our home in Lahaina. We were stuck in Kahului and had network service to watch and listen to what was reported through Kula, Kihei, and Lahaina. We watched videos, and news coverage, and received texts. Honestly, Instagram has never been so useful. We had our entire family safe but were watching the tragedy unfold for our island home.
I placed messages, texts, and phone calls, word of mouth to loved ones I could reach. In the responses of sorrow, disbelief, and the overwhelmingness of the events the responses were filled with love, compassion, and an ignited relief of a sense of safety, with a resilence of optimism that everything else can be figured out. The air and energy were filled with impatience, frustration, adversity, and horror but it was blanked with empathy, compassion, and solace in safety.
Our community is facing an extremely long road ahead. My story of August 8th is very different from many loved friends, family, and businesses. I know what my emotions were like, the trauma that we embraced and I want to send love and compassion to my community in a way that I know how in a way that can give power and stability back to those that have lost so much.
Photography has been a powerful force for me, an ambition that I have for my photography is to make an impact. Please help make a heartfelt impact on my island home by using my photography platform to raise funds to help the backbone of our very special community. I am seeking to propose funds directly for community members, businesses, and school efforts.
Our 'Ohana in every sense of the meaning needs as much care and nurturing during this unprecedented time.
I would like to share personal stories about the friends and community members in my direct network but also the perspective of the community efforts being brought.
Community Stories and Donation Options
I do not know what we need yet. but I do know we are going to need resources to help us find permanent housing or to relocate if we have to because my husband is unable to work.
Pleas share this information and these links with anyone who would like to know how they can help
May God bless you
and those you know who were impacted by the fires
🙏💕
I wanted to share a personal update about the recent devastation in Lahaina, Maui. Aerial images of our neighborhood reflect a scene straight out of a nightmare, almost as if a bomb dropped on our beloved town. Our homes and everything in them are gone. With the extent of damage, there have been heart-wrenching stories emerging daily. Our good friend, who is a first responder, has been sharing the trauma of not only fighting the fires but also searching for remains. Tragically, many have lost their lives in our community.
For my family and me, the uncertainty of the situation is beyond overwhelming. We're cut off from the Westside, and it seems like it'll be a while before utilities are restored or any semblance of normality returns. We remain unsure about what each day will bring, but we find solace in being together, safe, and profoundly grateful to have escaped with our lives. What has been especially unnerving is that this calamity struck with almost no warning, catching the entire community off-guard.
Amid this chaos, I've received an outpouring of support and concern from many of you. Thank you so much. It genuinely means the world to us. We also want to express our profound gratitude to friends — and individuals with hearts as expansive as yours — who have welcomed ten of us, along with our four dogs, into their home. This gesture has given us a sanctuary, a moment to catch our breath, and the strength to strategize our next steps.
While I have initiated a GoFundMe campaign HERE to help navigate through these unprecedented times, I understand that direct donations aren't for everyone. As an artist, I've always believed in the exchange of value, and I wanted to give something back to this incredible community that has supported my journey for years.
I'm offering a the print titled "Sitting in Bliss", capturing the essence of Maui. It's a 16x16” Canson Platine print - a stunning museum quality print - available in exchange for whatever amount you'd like to contribute. Given the current circumstances and my limited resources, I hope you'll understand if the delivery times are longer than usual. I promise to do my best to fulfill all orders within 60 days.
Here is the link to order the print and make a contribution.
Every contribution, be it for the print or directly to the GoFundMe, is a step towards rebuilding our lives. Your support, thoughts, and prayers are invaluable to us during these testing times.
Additionally, the power of sharing cannot be overstated. If you can take a moment to forward this email to friends, family, or colleagues who might be interested in supporting or simply learning about our situation, it would be a tremendous help. Every share, every word of encouragement, and every act of kindness amplifies our strength during these times.
With deep gratitude,
Scott, Becca, and Koji
Sara escaped the fire with very little. She was able to get into her vehicle and get out of there, taking one friend to get his cat and his truck on the way. She is going to need to rebuild her life completely.
Sara has worked for years in the Lahaina Harbor on the Ultimate Whale boat crew. She studied last year to earn her captains license. The boats and the harbor have all burned, nothing is left, which means she has no job to go back to. The whole town of Lahaina is devastated.
The whole situation is heartbreaking and feels impossible to comprehend.
Saturday 8/11 Update;
We want to thank you all for the donations, love and aloha. The letters, notes and donations we have received for Sara have touched us all deeply . Thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping my sister.
We now are learning how truly devastating this situation is. Lahaina town has been reduced to ashes. My sisters neighbor was able to get back into Lahaina and she sent video of their home. There is nothing left but some cinder blocks and a burnt out washing machine. The second story where Sara lived for the past 15 years does not even exist anymore.
The comeback from this is going to be long and very hard. She will need all the help we can give her.
If anyone has leads on a new long term housing situation for Sara please reach out. We are trying our hardest to rebuild her life on Maui, but options seem extremely limited.
Love,
Duane & Sandi
Now, it's time to secure a better, safer, medium-term solution for our Team. We're asking for donations that will go directly toward providing immediate assistance—especially housing—for our employees affected by the Lahaina fires.
At The Snorkel Store, SAFETY is central to our work. The Maui Snorkel Report shows you where to snorkel safely every day. We custom-fit quality gear so you're safe in the ocean. And we educate on safety and offer turtle adoptions to make sure Maui's sea-life is safe.
Today, we're humbly asking for your donation for the safety of our Team.
Here's what your dollars will go toward:
Housing
Utilities
Clothing
Food
Medical care
While Lahaina will take years to rebuild, life will continue for Maui's residents. Your donation will help ensure The Snorkel Store's beloved employees are here to greet you with a smile of Aloha when you return.
Every donation to this Gofundme will go directly to providing basic necessities for The Snorkel Store employees affected by the Maui fires. These funds DO NOT go toward business use.
When each of us contributes, in the spirit of Aloha, we will reach our goal! Every $1 counts. We greatly appreciate your support! Mahalo.
Lo’Paka and Katie Wilson along with their three kiddos Eha, Briley and Mana are very dear to our hearts and some of our closet friends they are sadly victims of these fires. Their fishing store West Maui Fish was completely burned to the ground- this store has been apart of the community for decades. They have lost everything. They rely on the community and visitors to make an income and support their family through their business. There is no telling when and if they will be able to rebuild. They are devastated and heart broken- they have touched so many lives in the community and are in need of support through this tragedy. Please find it in your hearts to give and support this amazing family. Gods calls us to walk along side those in need - so let us stand strong and hold them up in a time of mourning. Funds will go to support them and help them rebuild their lives.
They currently have a place to stay in Honokohau but are obviously in need of just about everything to rebuild their life. Life in Maui will take months if not years to return to normal and the funds raised will go to help them stay afloat until the tourists return.
Mahalo for your support and love for the Shaw Family. Please share this and help me raise as much money as possible.
Updates (1)
August 12, 2023
by Lori Hirayama May, Organizer
UPDATE! UPDATE! UPDATE!
Mahalo to everyone who has shared and donated so far! The overwhelming response has been amazing and the Shaw Family truly appreciate each and every one of you. Their cell service has been unreliable and they are often not receiving calls and text messages so they wanted me to relay that they would have otherwise sent a thank you message to every single person who has donated so far.
The Shaw’s were quite reluctant for me to start this GoFundMe and humbly believed that others had greater need but I disagreed. The loss of a home, a car, and business each separately is devastating. I cannot imagine losing all of it at once. Combining this with the fact that tourists are being urged to stay away from Maui and rebook elsewhere makes their future ability to provide for their family filled with uncertainty.
As you can imagine, the Shaw’s are just starting to face their new reality. They visited the place that used to be their home yesterday and were heartbroken to discover that any lingering hope of finding their home still standing is truly gone. The heat from the fire was so hot that that their solar metal roof melted and there were just a few small items that they could salvage.
Everything from important documents to priceless sentimental trinkets are now a pile of ash. They also visited Lahaina Harbor and found their four boats had burned and were completely under water. Sailboat Kainani survived by pure chance only because there was no room to dock it in the harbor that day. Unfortunately Nahiku’s school and Oli’s preschool (which was supposed to celebrate their 50th anniversary this year) are also gone and the keiki (kids) have moved to Oahu to live with their grandparents and enroll in school due to overcrowding at local schools.
When we think of rebuilding, we think of construction and power tools, but the reality is that rebuilding has already started. It started when they made their first trip to Wal-Mart to buy a few cheap pieces of clothing so that they had something to change into for the next few days. It started when they had to buy every little item that we take for granted, from a toothbrush to utensils and pots and pans, as well as larger items like a refrigerator to furnish the empty house that they will now call home in Honokohau. Unfortunately, this home is incomplete and the drywall is not even finished yet, so it will take time to make it a true home suitable for the keiki to return. The generous donation that you have made will go a long way to replace every single one of these items and turn a house into a home again.
Many of you have asked about donating items but what they really need is funds to buy what they need, when they need it. Their list of needs is ever-changing and they have already begun working on fulfilling their own needs over the last few days so financial assistance is the best way to help.
In a true act of selflessness, they have started a GoFundMe to help their 10 employees, many of whom also lost their homes and are now out of work. One of their boat captains and dear friend Kevin is expecting a baby very soon.
To support the employees of Makai Adventures and Kainani Sails: https://gofund.me/97c544cf
To support Kevin & family: https://gofund.me/abe7f4eb
Keao also recently gave two interviews about his experience with the Maui Fire and its effect on his family and livelihood.
Interview with childhood friend and Hilo’s own Ku’uwehi Hiraishi, journalist with Hawaii Public Radio: https://www.hawaiipublicradio.org/local-news/2023-08-11/lahaina-boat-captain-navigates-loss-and-recovery-after-fire-depletes-family-business
Interview with People Magazine: https://people.com/maui-resident-loses-home-childrens-schools-in-wildfires-exclusive-7642458
Please continue to SHARE this GoFundMe and DONATE if you have not had a chance to do so yet.
Mahalo!
We have 27 Lahaina staff members who lost their homes and everything they own. Many team members are from long time born & raised westside families with multiple generations living under one roof. Their support network IS Lāhainā, and now everyone that would normally help them needs help too. Others have been Maui residents for 10 - 20 years. In what felt like an instant, their homes, workplace, neighborhoods, possessions and vehicles were reduced to ashes. Some may have also lost relatives and friends - as we are still learning the extent of what has happened.
As for Choice - we will dig deep, reinvent, reimagine and recover.
This fund is for those 27 staff members who lost their homes. The chaos here has been overwhelming. Most of our staff haven’t had a chance to set up donation links so we are creating this as a single portal allowing you, our extended Choice Ohana, to lend support from afar. We will distribute all funds directly to the team, divided equally, to help them rebuild their lives. They will utilize the financial support to secure more permanent housing and daily necessities.
Choice team members who lost their homes:
Jake Schattenberg
May Wedelin
Angel Morena Caseneda
Jonah Basurto
Chie Kaya
Chiho Villasenor
Laura Black Caprioni
Keiko Kaska
Maxx Vorpahl
Morgan Vorpahl
Repus Eric McCumber
Amanda Palmer
John Flores
Sean Ayer
Nickole Ayer
Emily Kunz
Camille Balderas
Patricia (Rin) VanBramer
Jireh Alega
Nicko James Pagdilao
Tricia Pascua
Brianna Burgos
Rei Rosales
Joslyn Villon
Shierlyn Arzaga
Jackie Arzaga
Michelle Arzaga
Our hearts are broken but we are trying to hold our spirits high. One step at a time we are moving forward. We sincerely appreciate your prayers, generosity, and aloha during this incredibly challenging time. Lahaina is NOT GONE. We can all pull together and get through this.
With Aloha from Maui,
Kathryn + Emily
Co-founders
All funds will be donated to King Kamehameha III Elementary School.
With Aloha,
Mahalo <3
I lost everything in the fire.
Don't know what the next step in life is.
I'm safe.
So grateful to be alive.
We survived the apocalypse
Everyone told me to get a GoFundMe so here we are.
Anything helps at this point..
Thank you all for the love and generosity.
I'm overwhelmed with gratitude for our community ❤️
We will rebuild.
#lahainastrong
Chrissy and Emma have lost all forms of income and their business in which they delivered food and goods to the community of neighboring island, Lanai. Lahaina Harbor has been completely obliterated along with their three work boats and three work vehicles. The night of the fire, Chrissy and Emma spent the night on a mooring watching everything they know, love and have worked for, burn to the ground. I don’t know what the future looks like for them but I know they are going to need to rely on help from friends and family. I’m not one to ask for help for myself, but when it comes to my family, I’d do anything, so I’m here asking for donations so that Chrissy and Emma may begin to rebuild their lives. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for any help that you can give during this difficult time.
https://youtu.be/YT9QUiXO0DY
https://youtu.be/Jo97KG7OZzI
https://people.com/hawaii-fire-heroes-detail-apocalyptic-scenes-im-still-numb-7643700
https://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2023/08/11/kids-hawaii-wildfires-boat-rescue-ocean-christina-lovitt-vpx.cnn
https://www.powerandmotoryacht.com/podcast
The wildfires that struck Lahaina, Maui were unexpected and devastating. Our beautiful community, known for its vibrant culture and breathtaking landscapes, now faces widespread destruction, displacement, and hunger. Thousands are without homes, and their immediate needs are vast.
The Challenge:
In the wake of this disaster, meal prep centers across Maui have sprung into action to serve the affected. However, the magnitude of need is overwhelming. With infrastructure damage and limited resources, providing 10,000 meals daily to our displaced neighbors is a monumental task.
Our Objective:
Through our Local Harvest: 10,000 Meals a Day for Lahaina Initiative', we aim to raise funds to source essential, nutritious ingredients for these meal prep centers. With your assistance, we can ensure that every individual affected by this disaster is nourished, comforted, and supported during these challenging times.
Where Your Contribution Goes:
Emergency Food Supplies: Your donations will directly fund the bulk purchase of nutritious ingredients to cater to immediate needs.
Transport and Logistics: Ensuring that food and resources reach the affected areas, especially where access might be restricted due to the disaster.
Supporting Local Suppliers: Whenever possible, we will source ingredients from local farmers and suppliers, helping to revive the local economy.
How You Can Lend a Hand:
Donate: Every dollar counts in relief efforts. Whether it's a single meal or supporting an entire family, your contribution matters.
Spread Our Message: Circulate our mission among your network, on social media, and within your community. Global support can create local change.
Volunteer: If you're on or near Maui and can provide hands-on assistance, we're in urgent need of volunteers at meal prep centers and distribution points.
Together, We Rise:
Lahaina has always been a symbol of resilience, community, and aloha. In these trying times, it's our unity that will help us rebuild and recover. Providing a meal is not just nourishing the body; it's healing the spirit, providing comfort, and signaling hope.
Be a beacon of hope for Lahaina. Join us, one meal at a time, as we strive to rebuild our beloved community.
Additional Resources
Maui Wide Resources
HCF is working in close collaboration with state and county leaders, nonprofit organizations, and community members to get an understanding of the quickly evolving priorities.
Funding will support evolving needs, including shelter, food, financial assistance, and other services as identified by our partners doing critical work on Maui. As of August 21, 2023, $56,616,592 has been raised.
Photo credit to where it belongs Maui Strong Fund
Every adult who meets the criteria needs to complete a simple form by clicking the GET HELP link below. People needing help completing the financial assistance form, including translation services, should dial 211.
IMPORTANT NOTE: It will be easier and faster if you complete the online application instead of calling 211.