How to Help Hawaiian Islanders Affected by Maui's Wildfires

These charities are giving direct aid to locals. Here's how to donate.

If you’ve ever taken a trip to Maui, stood in the shade of its ancient banyan tree, walked down Lahaina’s balmy Front Street, and enjoyed its incredible cuisine and gracious hospitality, it is time to give back.

Devastating fires have gripped the island, causing untold damage, marking one of the worst natural disasters in Hawaii’s history. And now, locals need our help, including the local chefs and hospitality travelers have all come to know and love.

Kyle Kawakami, chef and owner of Central Maui’s Maui Fresh Streatery Food Truck, recommends donating to vetted sources (like the ones below), grassroots efforts, including Maui Mutual Aid, and only the GoFundMe campaigns to which you have a personal or trusted connection. Kawakami also belongs to the Maui Rapid Response team, which provides food to Maui’s kupuna (elders). The organization’s Instagram lists verified entities to donate to and shelter information for displaced residents. “I can’t even count how many restaurants are on Front Street,” he shares with Food&Wine.

If you’re ready to help, here are reputable entities on Maui to assist right now.

Major Organizations

Maui Food Bank: The Maui Food Bank is currently providing meals to displaced Maui residents. It is collecting donations of non-perishables, food, and hygiene products as well. It also has an emergency volunteer sign-up form. You can make a monetary donation here.

Hawai’i Community Foundation: The Hawai’i Community Foundation’s Maui Strong Fund is being used to support communities affected by the wildfires. The Office of the Governor of Hawai’i recommends donations to this fund. Kawakami says, “They’re in full swing right now and readily able to funnel money onto the island.”

Maui United Way: All monetary donations via Maui United Way reach victims and relief efforts directly (there’s no processing or admin fee). The organization has provided community grants since 1945, and right now, it’s providing immediate support for local non-profits offering disaster relief (grants of up to $10,000 each). As the crisis develops, grants will be opened up to individual households affected by the wildfires.

Maui Humane Society: Maui Humane Society is providing pet supplies and emergency kits to shelters. Its website lists links to forms to report both lost and found pets and a Facebook group offering mutual help. The Hawaiian Humane Society’s Facebook page is also helping with the effort to address displaced pets.

Hospitality Relief

Restaurant and hospitality workers are often the most vulnerable, and many have lost their homes in the wildfires.

“Chefs on Maui pulled together right away. World Central Kitchen landed two nights ago. We have set up leadership roles, volunteer sign-ups, and schedules, and are meal planning for the long haul while trying to pace and schedule donations and necessary incoming supplies from other islands and the mainland,” chef Lee Anne Wong shares. “We are actively seeking to connect with mainland companies willing to donate food supplies or financial aid to on-the-ground relief efforts, as we are currently trying to feed 5,000 displaced residents up to three meals a day. We understand that this will not be a short endeavor, so we are encouraging people to conserve their energy as we will need volunteers for months to come and have asked those eager to help to standby while we continue to coalesce with other organizations such as the Salvation Army, Red Cross, and local officials.”

World Central Kitchen’s Wildfire Relief Effort: World Central Kitchen representatives are currently distributing food to first responders on the ground. They are now visiting rural areas of Maui and the Big Island, identifying needs for meals. They have partnered with local chefs to prepare these meals.

Hawai’i Restaurant Association: The Hawai’i Restaurant Association is mobilizing donations through food, shelter, first aid, and money directed at evacuees from Maui to Oahu. The Oahu interest form can be found here. Those looking to volunteer on Maui can fill out this form.

Chef Hui: Chef Hui is a network comprising chefs and food service providers and, in non-disaster times, supports local farmers and independent producers and provides food to Hawai’i families in need. The organization is rallying volunteers to provide meals and seeking donations here.

GoFundMe for Papa’Aina & The Pioneer Inn: Papa’Aina, the restaurant led by Chef Wong and attached to the Pioneer Inn, has been completely destroyed. “This is absolutely devastating for Maui's economy and the future of the community. Many will be forced to leave the island as they no longer have a home, and housing was already a major problem on our island,” Wong says. “Beyond the historic buildings and businesses that were lost, dozens of restaurants are gone forever, burned to the ground. In an industry where workers have been fighting for living wages, battling inflation, the recession, and the resulting recent downturn of tourism, this doesn’t leave a ton of options for those who are both out of a job and a home.”

GoFundMe for Aunty Sandy’s Banana Bread: Aunty Sandy’s Banana Bread has a GoFundMe, raising funds for Costco runs of bedding and food to shelters.

Additional Resources

Honolulu Magazine’s food blog, Frolic Hawaii, is keeping a running list on its Instagram of Oahu businesses donating 100% of their proceeds, offering free meals to displaced Maui evacuees, and food businesses collecting donations.

If you do not have the financial means to donate, remember that this is not an isolated catastrophe and that there are other ways to help, including gaining new knowledge on the climate crisis. As several scientists have noted, climate change is wreaking havoc around the world. Experts have also called the devastation on Maui a "compound disaster," due to both climate change and things like the prevalence of non-native grasses on the island that have grown over what were sugarcane plantations – themselves non-native and destructive. Now’s the time for self-reflection and to elect policymakers committed to addressing climate change. Check out websites like Vote Smart to learn more about where local and national politicians stand on every issue, including climate change policy.

“I’m sitting in front of my house in Central Maui, and it’s a beautiful day. It’s 75 degrees with trade winds. I can see Haleakala,” says Kawakami. “But on the other side of the island, there’s no more infrastructure. We’ve had catastrophic floods and other disasters, hurricanes, but nothing to this magnitude and nothing to this level of devastation.”

Kawakami adds, “Thank you for your prayers, kind words, and any support you can provide. It means a lot to us. I’ve heard from multiple chefs who have lost everything. Now is the time to reimagine and rebuild a new history of Lahaina. To have that kind of positivity and grit – for them to be able to say it’s time to rebuild and reimagine what we can do. I am speechless."

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