
It’s been six months since one of the deadliest wildfires in recent U.S. history caused heartbreaking devastation on Maui in Hawaii. The American Red Cross responded immediately and is still there, working tirelessly to deliver critical aid as residents continue to cope with unthinkable losses and an uncertain future.
The fast-moving fire changed people’s lives forever — many lost everything they held dear. The blaze wiped out most of the historic town of Lahaina. As many as 3,710 homes were destroyed or made unlivable and thousands of people were unable to return home.
THOUSANDS STILL NEED HELP Nearly 5,000 residents are still in the temporary emergency non-congregate sheltering (NCS) program. Recently, the first residential zone reopened and more than 100 households in the NCS program have successfully returned home.
For those that can’t return home, more than 3,000 people in the NCS program have successfully transitioned into stable intermediate housing. We are grateful for the partnership with the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement (CNHA). Through the Red Cross-funded Host Housing Support Program administered by CNHA, some 200 local families are hosting nearly 600 disaster-impacted individuals. In addition, the Red Cross has supported CNHA in securing 50 direct leases for disaster-affected individuals. Participation in the host family and direct lease programs only continues to grow, with applications coming in daily.
Red Cross Shelter Resident Transition teams are helping people determine what their next housing steps will be, which includes working with government partners to support survivors until they find stable housing solutions. Red Cross workers are also helping people whose home sites will be reopened, ensuring they have what they need to comfortably settle back into their homes.
In October, we launched Bridge Assistance, an additional wave of financial assistance to bridge the gap between the initial response and when other community-based programs are in place. Households can use the funds for critical expenses like security deposits or first month’s rent, childcare costs, transportation to work and more.
How Red Cross Financial Assistance is Helping Families
Alan and Geri Kawaguchi’s family has been displaced by the fire, but they feel incredibly fortunate that their home survived. Right now, the family is anxiously waiting for home repairs to be complete as the contractor hopes to begin work this summer. While their damaged home didn’t meet eligibility criteria for government aid, the repairs will be costly and they are grateful for Red Cross financial assistance.
Linda and Celestino Santella are still staying in a Red Cross non-congregate shelter at Royal Lahaina until their neighborhood is no longer considered toxic and the water is safe, which may happen in March. Despite all the setbacks, Linda still feels grateful. “With everything going on in the world, to receive all these blessings is incredible.” With 40 years of marriage behind them, they like to joke that they can weather anything. She and her husband received Red Cross Bridge Assistance as well as Disaster Health Services support to replace a lost walker and medications for Celestino. The Red Cross is still helping them, she says.
Stephany and Fernando Sepulveda received Red Cross Bridge Assistance that helped them with food and replacing items lost in the fire. She says they are doing “fine, as fine as you can be, considering. Things are moving really slow, and you have to have a lot of patience. Just to know the Red Cross is thinking about us, calling from the mainland, really means a lot. Thank you for coming to our island and helping us — we needed you.” Stephany’s family has more than 100 years of history in Lahaina. Retired, they are spending their nest egg to pay rent to a friend they have been staying with since the fire destroyed their home. They still hope to get housing support from FEMA. Stephany said they have paid “almost $10,000 so far” in rent.
THANK YOU The Red Cross is grateful to everyone who has supported this massive relief effort. So far, more than 1,860 Red Cross volunteers from around the country have helped people on Maui, along with the local workforce who stepped up to help their community. Special thanks to our generous supporters, whose financial donations and donations of critical goods and services have enabled us to continue our work in Hawaii. Six months ago, the Red Cross was there and will continue to be there in the weeks to come, helping those affected by these devastating fires.
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or follow us on social media.
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