The nonprofit Maui Economic Opportunity community action agency has emerged as a valuable resource for immigrants of Lahaina in the aftermath of the devastating Aug. 8 wildfires.

Lahaina’s restaurants and tourists shops provided economic opportunity for much of Lahaina’s immigrant population. Some of them lost their lives in the fire, and many lost all of their possessions.

In the days after the disaster, MEO hosted the Argentine and Mexican consulates to assist victims, replacing documents and passports that were lost.

At MEO’s Wailuku office from Aug. 12-21, victims were able to request and receive replacement documents in a matter of hours, said MEO’s head of human services, Cassi Yamashita.

“Not only having these documents so that they can receive resources, but having the information to get these services is another hurdle,” Yamashita said. “The Spanish-speaking population has always viewed MEO as a trusted entity … so for them to see a recognized local entity, I think that was huge for them.”

Immediately after the fires, MEO began reaching out to the Spanish-speaking community, which makes up for about 12% of Maui County’s population, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. However they received no community response, signaling to staff that many were without means of communication and likely in need of their services.

“We knew we had to get information out there,” she said. “The Spanish-­speaking population is a very close-knit community, and so coconut wireless did its job and we found out that there were a lot of folks who had lost their documents.”

MEO began conducting outreach in the shelters housing wildfire victims and confirmed this need. Having previously worked with consulates, the nonprofit was then able to coordinate document replacement services.

The event, which was originally planned to span only a few days, wound up extended to run through Aug. 21 after MEO and the consulates realized how many people needed replacement services.

By the end of the event, at least 32 Argentine passports were replaced, and at least 152 documents with the Mexican Consulate. MEO was also able to direct victims who showed up to other resources related to things like housing and medical services.

The event also revealed how many people in and outside of the Spanish-speaking population were struggling simply due to lack of language services, she added.

“I was working with the Tongan population, and I could not find a translator,” she said. “I had to call a friend from out of state to support me with that. and every single household member in that particular family had medical needs that needed to be addressed.”

Consul General Emilio Fernandez said the Honolulu Filipino Consulate also held a nearly two-day event on Maui to help wildfire victims in the Filipino community replace their lost passports for the regular $150 replacement fee.

Many showed up, where the consulate took fingerprints for victims’ replacements, which are expected to be ready in four to six weeks, Fernandez said. With so many displaced from their homes, people will have the option to pick up their replacement from their nearest consular team or to contact the consulate with their most current address to have it mailed.

Earlier this week, U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz thanked President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden in a letter for their visit to Maui on Monday, and for responding to the wildfires with strong federal responses, according to a news release. In the written communication, Schatz also requested additional means of support from the federal government as many continue to grapple with the fallout.

Schatz’s requests included asking U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to waive fees and expedite processing for all people affected by the disaster who need to replace any immigration documents.

MEO plans to host an additional event at its Wailuku location Sept. 9 that will focus on providing legal help to wildfire victims. There, people can receive assistance on topics including immigration, document replacement, housing, evictions, unemployment, public benefits and insurance claims, according to an MEO news release.

No appointments will be necessary, and all assistance will be provided without charge.

———

Linsey Dower covers ethnic and cultural affairs and is a corps member of Report for America, a national service organization that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues and communities.