When the donation drive organized by Hawaii state senators opened at 10 a.m. on Thursday, cars were lined up in front of the Father Damien statue to drop off items to support those affected by the Maui wildfires.
Thirty minutes into the effort, a steady stream of donors remained, said Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke.
“You never know when we do drives like this, how many people are going to turn up,” Luke said. “But as you can see, there’s constantly people driving in and offering their condolences and offering sympathy.”
The donation drive was organized by Maui Sens. Angus McKelvey (D, West Maui-Maalaea-South Maui), Gilbert Keith-Agaran (D, Wailuku-Kahului-Waihee) and Lynn DeCoite (D, East and Upcountry Maui- Molokai-Lanai) and continues today from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Toiletries, diapers, formula, toys, clothing, bedding, household goods and nonperishable food items are being accepted with the hope that they might offer some relief to devastated Maui communities.
“The most heart- wrenching part is that we’ve got a lot of death from the fire,” said Sen. Kurt Fevella (R, Ewa Beach-Ocean Pointe- Iroquois Point), who was present at the event Thursday. “We cannot bring back the lives that (were) taken … we just want to show moral support and love and whatever we can do to continue to help.”
Luke, who joined the U.S. Coast Guard in its aerial damage assessment of the affected areas on Wednesday, said that witnessing the devastation first-hand was heartbreaking.
“To see the town that was thriving and vibrant burnt to a crisp was just beyond sad,” Luke said. “The people in Maui, they need food, they need a place to sleep, they need housing, they need mental health services. And just to know that there are deaths and more deaths that are being reported — it’s just a terrible time.”
Despite the disaster, both Luke and Fevella noted the remarkable ways in which the community has stepped up to show support for Maui outside the donation drive.
“People are calling our office saying, “How can we help,” Luke said. “It’s just incredible. In times of tragedy, in times of suffering people in Hawaii step up.”
With so many donation and fundraising efforts opening up in support of Maui wildfire victims, State Attorney General Anne Lopez has urged people to use caution when choosing where to donate, and recommends vigilance against those who may be trying to take advantage of people’s goodwill.
Today is the last day to drop off donations at the state Capitol donation drive. Bottled water donations are being discouraged at this time. Donors may drop off items at either the Father Damien statue or inside the Capitol parking lot off of Miller Street.
Here are several other opportunities to donate:
>> The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency: Donations and volunteer support welcomed. State Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Kenneth Hara recommends going to ready.hawaii.gov or calling 808-733-4300 for information.
>> Maui County: Coordinating donations and volunteers. For more information call 808-270-7285.
>> American Red Cross of Hawaii: Money and volunteers are needed at redcross.org/hawaii
>> Matson: Nonprofit organizations needing assistance in getting goods to Maui are asked to apply for such assistance on the company’s website at matson.com/community.
>> Hawaii Community Foundation: Anyone wanting to make donations to help communities and families recover on Maui may do so through Hawaii Community Foundation’s Maui Strong Fund, which may be accessed at hawaiicommunityfoundation.org/maui-strong.
>> Maui United Way: The Fire Disaster Relief Fund is providing immediate financial assistance through grants to nonprofits at the forefront of relief efforts, as well as directly to households that have been deeply affected. Those who would like to donate may do so at mauiunitedway.org/disasterrelief.
>> Hawaii Restaurant Association: Those wanting to contribute from Maui or Oahu may fill out the form at tinyurl.com/2a9jfjdy.
>> Foodland: Donations up to $249 may be made at any Foodland checkout counter.
>> United Public Workers: Donate nonperishable items at any UPW headquarters across the state from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Headquarter locations are listed as follows. Oahu: 1426 North School St., Hawaii island: 362 East Lanikaula St., Maui: 841 Kolu St., Kauai: 2970 Kele St. Suite 213.
>> Hawaii Chamber of Commerce Foundation: Monetary donations are being accepted at tinyurl.com/46jknrw9.
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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.
