Please find below resources to help those affected by the Maui Wildfires.

Our hearts are broken with the devastation that has hit Maui. These wildfires have uprooted families, lives, and homes. We stand with our Maui ʻohana and send our deepest condolences and aloha to everyone affected. Mahalo nui loa to all first responders, volunteers, and community members stepping up to lend a hand. We will continue sharing resources and updates to help families and individuals who need it- find them below.

For a more extensive list of resources broken down categorically, please visit www.mauirapidresponse.org. If you prefer to view resources on a map, click here for the Maui Aid Map.

For multilingual resources, click HERE.

If you have questions or suggestions, email us at [email protected].

DONATIONS

Although supply donations greatly appreciated, Maui County officials have communicated that those needs have been met and excess donations could overwhelm their capacity. Please consider donating money instead (click here to see a list of list of charities), as it allows resources to be allocated where they are needed most.

Donation options:

• Hawaii Community Foundation- Maui Strong Fund
• Hawaiʻi People's Fund: Maui Aloha
• Maui Food Bank
• Maui United Way
• Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement
• World Central Kitchen
• Maui Humane Society

PLEASE BE AWARE OF FRAUD. Unfortunately, some may try to take advantage of this situation. Click here to see common fraud FAQ's and learn how to report it. 

Latest Updates and Information

• Rental Assistance Program (RAP) is specifically to help survivors of the Maui wildfires who are not eligible for FEMA assistance. With $2.5 million in initial funding, the innovative new RAP will make a significant difference for the many survivors still in need of housing solutions. RAP will work to secure housing for up to 12 months for eligible households by connecting them with Airbnb or through the Hawai‘i Housing Finance and Development Corporation (HHFDC) Hawai‘i Fire Relief Housing Program.   
• Maui TANF Assistance for immigrants with dependent children to apply for the Maui Relief TANF Program will be available from 5 to 8 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 2, at Maui Economic Opportunity in Wailuku. The event is by appointment only at 99 Mahalani St., behind the J. Walter Cameron Center. Call (808) 243-4316 and leave a name and phone number, and MEO will make contact to schedule the appointment. Walk-ins will not be assisted. For more information click here.

• Applications for the new Maui Relief TANF Program will open October 20th! This program is designed to provide survivors of the 2023 Maui wildfires who have at least one dependent child in their household, with financial support for housing, transportation, utilities and other specific needs.

  Learn more and apply here.

• Multilingual Hotline for the Immigrant Resource Center
  • Immigrants, Refugees, and LEP individuals can now call to receive vital information and valuable resources in their preferred language! 
  • Call 808-518-6217 for interpreters in Chuukese, Marshallese, Ilocano, Tagalog, Spanish, and Tongan.
• DOH Precautions When Temporarily Entering the Impacted Area
  • As folks will soon be able to re-enter Lahaina temporarily, there are many potential hazards to be aware of. It’s very important to read how to keep yourself and your family safe and prepare before hand.
• Safety Advisory and Recommendations for Entry 
• Maui Information Guide
  • Latest updates, where to donate, how often
• Locating people
  • list of people found and not located with details of location
• School Closures
• Shelters 
• Food Collection and Distribution
• Family Assistance Center & Shelters
• Volunteer

Childcare and School

Child Care Options for Maui Families

A list of child care options for families affected by the fires in Maui is now available.  PATCH, the state’s designated Child Care Resource & Referral Agency, worked with licensed and registered providers to determine who is still operating and providing care.

This list is being updated on a regular basis.  It contains contact information, ages the program accepts, address, city (for Family Child Care providers), and phone number.  Parents can call PATCH’s referral lines for further assistance at (808) 961-3169.

If licensed or registered providers are willing to provide care for keiki on Maui, they can contact PATCH to be placed on the list.

Other options:

• Kamaʻaina Kids Free Emergency Childcare for affected families and emergency workers
• Preschool Open Doors have REOPENED their applications for Maui Residents
  • Accepting applications 9/1/23-10/31/2023
  • Need help paying for preschool? Preschool Open Doors (POD) provides monthly preschool tuition subsidies to qualified families. Parents may choose any DHS licensed preschool.

Resources for Families with Unstable Housing: Access to Education

Families experiencing unstable housing have rights under the McKinney-Vento Act to ensure their children continue uninterrupted access to education and services.

Visit the Hawaiʻi Public Schools Website to learn more and enroll in school.

Food 

SNAP 

• SNAP Replacement Benefits  - A SNAP replacement is a replacement of food purchased with SNAP benefits that was destroyed.  The amount of the replacement must be for the amount of the food loss not to exceed the amount of the monthly benefit issued to the household.   A household can request SNAP replacement through September 15, 2023 by visiting a Processing Center in their area or calling 1-855-643-1643.   Households in the following impacted areas are eligible to request SNAP replacement: (a) Hawaii Island: 96743 – Kamuela, 96755 – Kapaau; (b) Maui: 96753 – Kihei, Wailea, 96761 – Lahaina,  96768 – Makawao, 96788 – Pukalani, 96790 – Kula
• UPDATE: SNAP Hot Foods Waiver – The USDA approved a waiver that will allow SNAP participants in Hawaii to buy hot foods with their benefits through December 31, 2023.  The waiver is important because many residents who evacuated cannot store food and may lack access to cooking facilities as a result. USDA emphasized the importance of the waiver, noting that many Hawaii residents evacuated to shelters cannot store food and lack access to cooking facilities as a result. Read more here.
• Temporary Suspension of ERs/SMRF for August, September, October – Eligibility Renewals (ERs) and Six Month Report Forms (SMRFs) will be suspended statewide for August 2023, September 2023, and October 2023.  Households scheduled to renew their SNAP and/or Financial benefits from August 2023 through October 2023 will receive renewal extensions and do not have to submit these forms.   ER and SMRFs already submitted for August and September 2023 will be disregarded.   These households will need to be-submit any relevant information such as reduction of income, address change, household member changes, etc. at the time of their next ER or SMRF.
  • View the PDF of FAQs
• Public Assistance Information System (PAIS) Wild Fire Queue – DHS recently modified the 1-855-643-1643 PAIS call center number to include a dedicated wild fire queue on the phone menu.   The 1-855-643-1643 will now ask callers if they have been directly impacted due to the recent wild fires on Maui or in Kohala.   If a caller answers ‘Yes’ (Press 1), they will be connected to a SBSD call center agent who will initially screen and triage their call if needed.   If the caller needs to speak to an Eligibility Worker related to the wildfire (either to report a change, request an interview, or request replacement benefits), they will be then routed to the Statewide Call Center (SCC) that is staffed by EWs.   Yesterday, the SCC received 37 calls related to the wildfires and was able to respond to all 37 calls with a live agent.

Disaster SNAP (D-SNAP)

• The Hawai‘i Department of Human Services (DHS) will launch the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) on Monday, September 18, 2023, through Saturday, September 23, 2023, for households directly impacted by the Maui wildfires in Kula (96790) and Lāhainā (96761, 96767) on August 8, 2023.
• Approximately 16,000 households that may not normally be eligible under regular Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) rules may qualify for D-SNAP. D-SNAP is available to eligible households impacted by the wildfires, REGARDLESS of immigration status.
• IMPORTANT INFORMATION:  Only households who are directly impacted by the Lahaina and Kula wildfires AND currently not receiving SNAP should apply for D-SNAP at the locations listed below. FOR CLIENTS CURRENTLY RECEIVING SNAP, YOU WILL BE AUTOMATICALLY ISSUED A SUPPLEMENTAL SNAP BENEFIT (UP TO THE MAXIMUM BENEFIT AMOUNT FOR YOUR HOUSEHOLD SIZE) NO LATER THAN SEPTEMBER 20, 2023 AND WILL NOT NEED TO COME IN PERSON TO RECEIVE THE BENEFIT.
• For more info, (english) click here.
• Translated graphics available in Spanish, Tagalog, Ilocano, Chuukese, Marshallese, and Tongan.
• Translated Fact Sheets available in English, Spanish, Tagalog, Ilocano, Chuukese, Marshallese, and Tongan.

School Meals

• Students who have been displaced by the Maui wildfires have the right to enroll in any public school in the state, and they are eligible for free schools meals through the end of the school year (and up to 30 days into the next school year). 
• To enroll and become eligible for free school meals, parents/guardians should fill out and submit an MV-1 form to their new school. Translated MV-1 forms and other information can be found at the Department of Education's resource page for families in unstable housing.
• The school system's community liaisons for families in unstable housing can help with filling out the MV-1 and provide other assistance. Find contact information for the the liaisons on Maui and across the state in this roster.
• For more resources on where to find food and meals on Maui (and all other resources), visit the Maui Rapid Response Page.

WIC

Families with small children (or expecting a child) that have lost income due to the Maui wildfires (or any other reason) may be eligible for the nutritional assistance provided by the WIC program. 

• To qualify for WIC, a parent or guardian must either have children under 5 years old who have nutritional needs or be a pregnant, breastfeeding, or postpartum woman, and also meet income guidelines. For example, the income limit for a family of 3 is $1,018 per week (and a pregnant woman counts as 2 or more people). See the Hawaii WIC page for income eligibility guidelines for different family sizes. 
• To apply, parents/guardians can fill out and submit this Hawaii WIC pre-application online, and a WIC staff person will contact them. They can also contact the WIC clinic that is closest to them. 
• "Disaster-related evacuees who seek WIC benefits should receive expedited certification processing" and "The documentation requirements for income, residency and/or identity do not apply to disaster survivors whose documentation has been damaged, lost or destroyed," according to the USDA, which oversees the WIC program.
• Families that already were receiving WIC prior the Maui wildfires, but had to relocate to a different island, can easily transfer their cases to the WIC clinic closest to them. If they lost their eWIC card, their WIC clinic can replace it. 
• Hawaii families can purchase a wider range of food products with WIC through NOV. 29. This includes additional brands of infant formula and different portion sizes of eggs, tofu, whole wheat/whole grain bread, juice and breakfast cereal. Families should contact their local WIC clinic for more details. 
• You can find substitutions if the infant formula on your benefit list is out of stock at a store on the Maui Fires WIC resource page (effective until October 27, 2023).
• WIC Maui Resource flyer is available in English, Chuukese, Marshallese, Tongan (English version of Tongan/Marshallese flyer here), Ilokano, Spanish, and Tagalog.

For a translated social media toolkit on WIC Maui Resources, click here.

Keiki Mental Health/Guiding children through trauma

• National Child Traumatic Stress Network Wildfire Resources
  • Trinka and Sam: The Big Fire (Children's Book)
  • Parent Guidelines for Helping Children Impacted by Wildfires
• National Association of School Psychologists: Helping Children After a Wildfire: Tips for Parents and Teachers
• Sesame Street Workshop: Traumatic Experience Resources
  • Explore free, bilingual resources on traumatic experiences that caring adults can use to help children cope and boost their emotional well-being.
• DOE West Maui School Resources
• Child Mind Institute: Helping Children Cope with Frightening News 
• Common Sense Media: Explaining the News to Our Kids | Common Sense Media
• Zero to Three: Helping Young Children Cope After Exposure to a Traumatic Event
• American Academy of Pediatrics: Talking With Children About Tragedies & Other News Events
• Zero to Three: Books to Help Little Children Handle Big Emotions
• HCAN's "Talking with children about violence and traumatic events" Resource Page

Mental Health Resources and Support

•  FREE Mental Health Services and Support Groups (English)
  • Also available in Yapese, Cebuano, Chuukese, Ilocano, Japanese, Marshallese, Pohnpeian, Spanish, Tagalog, and Tongan.

Hawai‘i Wildfire Recovery and Resilience Resource Guide

Crisis Hotlines

Volunteer Social Workers Needed

• Hannibal Tavares Community Center
• War Memorial Gym
• Maui High School
• Maui Preparatory Academy
• King's Cathedral Maui
• The Christ Church of Latter-Day Saints

Declaring Damage

Maui News Now reported that the President declared a major disaster in Hawaiʻi- ordering Federal aid to supplement state and local recover efforts. 

The President’s action makes Federal funding available to affected individuals in Maui County. Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster. Further details are posted HERE.

Residents and business owners who sustained losses in the designated areas can begin applying for assistance at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, by calling 800-621-FEMA (3362), or by using the FEMA App. Anyone using a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, can give FEMA the number for that service.

Reporting Unsolicited Property Offers

The Governor has urged Maui homeowners to exercise caution and report unsolicited offers to buy their properties. Click here to learn more and report.