As part of our long-term recovery efforts, the American Red Cross has partnered with various organizations through grant programs to let the impacted Maui community guide in its disaster response. Each of these specialized partners works to connect the people of Lahaina to means by which they are given a greater measure of control over how their own recovery.

Our Kūpuna empowers the older generation of community members (kūpuna) who are in need due to being homebound, low-income, etc., by providing them with a volunteer to help them with shopping, delivering groceries and medications and other necessary services. The Red Cross is proud to partner with them and their volunteers working in Lahaina.

What is your name and title?
Shannon I’i, Maui Program Manager of Our Kupuna.

What has the grant from the Red Cross allowed your organization to do?
The Red Cross grant has allowed Our Kūpuna to expand our services in Lahaina and surrounding communities by directly supporting fire-affected kūpuna with essential needs, consistent wellness check-ins, and culturally grounded support. It also enabled us to compensate local community members—many of whom are survivors themselves—to serve as care coordinators and companions, deepening both trust and healing within the relationships formed.

What have been your organization’s biggest successes so far?
Our biggest successes include reaching over 150 kūpuna impacted by the wildfires, providing not just logistical help like transportation and food access, but also restoring a sense of dignity, connection, and care in a time of crisis. We've also successfully hired and trained local residents as paid coordinators, turning their lived experience into meaningful employment and healing work.

What does your organization still have planned to accomplish?
We are working to expand our outreach to ensure that no kūpuna is missed, especially those in temporary or unstable housing. We also plan to build a long-term support network that includes wellness programming, cultural reconnection, and increased access to wraparound services. A priority is sustainability—ensuring this care does not fade when the headlines do.

What have been the most powerful moments or lessons learned while working towards Lahaina’s recovery?
One of the most powerful lessons has been the importance of connection—how deeply kūpuna need not only resources but relationships. We’ve seen time and again that healing happens when someone shows up consistently, speaks your language, understands your culture, and truly listens. Our kūpuna are resilient, but they thrive when they know they’re not forgotten.

What is the impact your organization has seen in the community?
The impact is both visible and deeply felt: kūpuna are regaining a sense of safety and support, families are feeling relief knowing their elders are cared for, and our local coordinators have become trusted bridges between services and lived experience. This model of care is rippling through neighborhoods and rebuilding trust one connection at a time.

How did the wildfire impact you, personally?
As a fire survivor, the opportunity to work with Our Kūpuna has been healing beyond belief. I get to support my own family while being paid to help my neighbors and kūpuna—many of whom feel like family. This work gives me purpose and reminds me that recovery is not just about rebuilding structures, but rebuilding lives, one relationship at a time.

How has working with your organization helped you, personally?
The wildfire took more than homes—it disrupted identity, community, and belonging. Watching our kūpuna lose everything while still trying to care for others was heartbreaking. It made this work even more urgent and personal.

Mahalo to Shannon and the dedicated team at Our Kūpuna for sharing their story and contributing to the work being done to see Lahaina shine again.