A month ago the island of Maui was hit with heart-breaking, fast-moving wildfires. The historic town of Lahaina lies in ruins. Smaller fires burned Upcountry too, on the flanks of Haleakala. Hundreds of homes have disappeared, and many residents on Maui are displaced and have lost family, friends and neighbors.

This Homecoming Sunday, UUC’s plate collection will go to the Hawai’i Community Foundation’s Maui Strong Fund. The fund is supporting the immediate and long-term recovery needs for the people and places affected, with a long-term focus on social equity.

The Hawai’i Community Fund (HCF), begun in 1916, pools donations and coordinates grant-making to strengthen Hawai’i communities. For Maui, HCF immediately began working closely with state, county, nonprofits and community leaders to understand the evolving priorities. In making Maui Strong grants, HCF confirms that recipients have goals that clearly align with efforts on the ground and the capacity to manage the funds.

The Maui Strong effort is following HCF’s four-phase approach to disaster response. Early grants were deployed quickly and flexibly as needed by Maui County for immediate Risk Reduction and Disaster Readiness. Next, HCF has focused on Rapid Relief and Response by supporting rapid-response partners best situated to distribute supplies, medical care, shelter and food, and provide trauma-informed care and grief support. Third, HCF will work toward Recovery and Stabilization, strengthening the health and well-being of Maui’s people, places and economy. In the long-term, the HCF will work to Rebuild Resilience.

With over 100 years’ working within the Hawaiian communities, HCF is a local and known entity. For more information, visit www.hawaiicommunityfoundation.org. Let's add our contributions to their efforts.