Maui Strong Fund awards $13M to nonprofits for fire survivors
The Hawaii Community Foundation on Tuesday announced $13 million in grants to five nonprofit partners offering long-term recovery assistance to those affected by the Aug. 8 Maui wildfires.
The award is part of a four-phased approach to disaster response addressing both immediate and long-term recovery needs, the HCF said. The grants are part of the third phase — the recovery and stabilization phase — with a focus on longer-range recovery and stabilization efforts.
HCF awarded the following amounts to these five partners:
>> $5 million to Family Life Center to support its ʻOhana Hope Village, a temporary housing project in Kahului that will provide 72 homes for large, multi-generational families impacted by the Maui fires. This will be in addition to 16 units currently housing wildfire survivors.
>> $3 million to Hawaiʻi Community Lending (HCL) to support the Lahaina Comprehensive Lot Survey. The amount will cover the cost for initial surveys and expedite the completion timeline while saving 500 homeowners enrolled in the Lahaina Homeowner Recovery Program an estimated $4.5 million.
>> $1.6 million to Kaibigan ng Lahaina to establish a Filipino resource center, one of the largest ethnic groups impacted by the fires. The center will offer disaster case assistance, mental health resources, and workforce and professional development.
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>> $2.2 million to Maui Health Foundation to construct 15 one-bedroom ohana units in Kahului as transitional housing for health care professionals impacted by the fires, which has been identified as a critical need, to keep them working on the Valley Isle.
>> $1.2 million to Pacific Gateway Center to support its Maui Embrace Initiative, which develops long-term, bilingual case managers on island through outreach to the foreign-born population affected by the fires.
“We mahalo the nonprofit organizations whose unwavering dedication and compassion, funded by the generous donors of the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation, will provide critical housing and navigation support to Maui’s fire-affected communities,” says Keanu Lau Hee, HCF’s senior director for the Maui Recovery Effort, in a news release. “These tireless efforts, supported by collective generosity, will bring hope and healing to those in need, offering not just shelter, but a path forward in the face of unimaginable loss.”
As of Oct. 7, HCF has awarded $125 million from its Maui Strong Fund to more than 200 organizations. Grants were made possible by donations.