Our Impact

Maui Fire Disaster Relief

We have allocated over $11.3 million to fire-impacted individuals and organizations across Maui County since the fires.  Examples of our work include:

Distributed $7.8 million in $1,000 Emergency Financial Assistance to nearly 8,000 survivors shortly after the fires.

Awarded 42 grants totaling $417,000 in grants to nonprofits serving fire survivors

• Locally grown food provided by Maui’s farmers delivered to food hubs;
• Transportation to medical appointments for those who have had their vehicles destroyed;
• Mortgage and insurance assistance;
• Help replacing personal identification lost in the fires;
• Crisis and grief counseling;
• Childcare services;
• Health care, including from Native Hawaiian practitioners; and
• Translation services

Stewarding the $1 million “Sentry Mālama Nā Keiki Initiative.”  The purpose of this program is to help children who survived the fires. Teams of mental health professionals meet these children where they are and actively engage with keiki in their environments, whether in temporary housing, shelters, resorts, beaches, and other community locations. It builds on crisis counseling services deployed on the West Side and targets children and families who are currently experiencing houselessness due to being displaced by the fires.

$649,500 Ohana Mental Health Grant.  Maui United Way’s most recent grant opportunity to address Maui’s growing mental health crisis (noting that significant challenges already pre-dated the fires). MUW awarded grants totaling between $50,000 and $100,000 to seven agencies that will focus on prevention, intervention and direct services to people ranging from keiki to kūpuna. 

$150,000 in stop-gap emergency food assistance. MUW has provided critical emergency food security funding to help feed over 2,000 fire survivors who had their food allotment reduced to just one meal a day before MUW stepped in with this funding.  We are starting a second round of grants totaling $350,000 to meet this critical need.

Construction of the DOE playground, art supplies, and bicycle helmets at the temporary King Kamehameha III School in Lahaina. MUW was one of the first funders, providing $178,000 for playground construction to help keiki have a safe place to just be keiki.   Because art can play such an important role in recovery from grief and trauma, we also funded over $10,000 in supplies for the Kamehameha III art room. In addition, Maui United Way provided bike helmets and helped with bicycle safety classes to students who received new bicycles. 

Helping to fund and lead Hoʻōla Ia Mauiakama, the Long Term Recovery Group (LTRG)

The biggest concern after the big agencies like FEMA and Red Cross ramp down and ultimately leave a disaster zone is meeting unmet needs. This is one of the core strengths of an LTRG – to collect data and engage in case management work and to make sure our community of survivors do not fall through the cracks. While other nonprofits can tackle certain elements of needed relief, no other entity can provide this more holistic view, which is critical for the best and wisest use of resources.  To date, Maui United Way has donated $250,000 to this effort, serves as fiscal sponsor, and has committed senior staff time to help get this group successfully launched.

Building capacity and expanding access to resources one grant workshop at a time.  Maui United Way’s team of expert trainers has helped to host seven grant workshops with 286 individuals attending the meetings live with hundreds more accessing the resources afterward.  The goal is to demystify the process and expand the pool of desperately needed grant writers and project managers for nonprofits, grassroots organizations and local businesses.  

Maui United Way revamped its “Tools for Schools” program to provide $15,000 in gift cards for school supplies to teachers in the schools with the highest percentage of students who qualify for  free and reduced lunch across Maui County.  Not only does this help the keiki most in need across Maui County, it means less out of pocket costs for our beloved teachers.

Contribute to the operation and staffing of the 2-1-1 Information and Referral Helpline on Maui. This vital service continues to link residents affected by fires with knowledgeable Community Resource Specialists who offer live assistance and connect them to crucial services and information in multiple languages.

Pursuing “data for good.”  We continue to assess where there is need for greatest impact and to ensure donor dollars are directed to meet the challenges and gaps experienced by not just fire-survivors but by all residents who are impacted by the wildfires. Assessments include data mapping of nonprofit roles and capacity to determine overlap and pukas, and surveys among the nonprofit community.  

Maui United Way is a supporting partner in an extensive county-wide community needs assessment project led by Hawaii State Rural Health Association and funded by the CDC and Hawaii Department of Health.  The findings tell a story of despair for many in Maui County.  We learned that:

• Over three-quarters (78%) feel more worried than hopeful about their future in Hawaii.
• Six in 10 countywide and 71% of fire survivors are foregoing food because they can’t afford it. Nearly half (49%) of the county says they are worse off financially since the fires – a number that grows to 69% among fire survivors.
• Nearly two-thirds of fire-impacted individuals say their mental health is worse post-fire.
• Most (72%) of county residents say they have been directly (27%) or indirectly (45%) impacted by the fires.
• Due to the high cost of living, especially housing, having money in savings is elusive to many, as is stable housing.  They worry about an uncertain future as they ponder moving off island.
• More broadly, we have a health care crisis, especially as it relates to a shortage of providers.  A significant number of County residents report delays and inconsistency of care.

We know we have work to do to fill the pukas and meet the growing and urgent needs of our Maui County ʻohana.  We remain “united to do more good” and are grateful for the support we have received across these islands and around the world. 

Information & Referrals

We pair people in need with agencies and programs to help solve the health and human service challenges they face.

Fund Distribution

We convene community residents and leaders to efficiently and effectively fund our health and human services partner agencies. We are seeking interested Maui County residents and business leaders to discuss needs, review grant applications, make agency site visits, deliberate on appropriate resource distributions, and explore ways to improve community conditions.