Maui United Way approves $150k for food needs of Lahaina fire survivors
KAHULUI—The Maui United Way announced Wednesday they have provided emergency stop-gap funding in the amount of $150,000 to a myriad of organizations, according to a press release from the United Way.
The project has been led by Common Ground Collective (CGC), according to the United Way.
The United Way stated that “CGC is dedicated to feeding vulnerable fire-impacted families on Maui’s West Side and providing a boost to local farmers.”
Common Ground Collective’s Maui Fire Relief Feeding program is a collaborative effort involving multiple organizations, including Hungry Heroes Hawaii (HHH), Hua Momona Foundation (HMF), and the Westside Community Resource Hubs (NapIli Noho and Pohaku Park Hubs). Together, these organizations are dedicated to supporting the feeding needs of fire survivors who face challenges accessing meals in the aftermath of the devastating Maui fires.
The Maui Fire Relief Feeding program consists of two parts: Meal Provision for Non-Congregate Shelter (NCS) Program Participants: This part of the program serves 121 individuals with prepped and packaged meals who rely on the NCS program for dinner but lack transportation to access other meals.
The second part of the program consists of the “Community Feeding Initiative”. The initiative supports approximately 11,105 fire-impacted individuals monthly, supplying produce, non-perishable items, and other essentials to those in need, according to the United Way.
“The Maui Fire Relief Feeding program exemplifies the power of collaboration and community support in times of crisis. Through the collective efforts of CGC and its partners, essential food assistance is being provided to fire survivors, ensuring they receive the support they need during this challenging period.” Maui United Way Board Chair, Shanda Vangas said.
“The need for food assistance in the wake of the Maui fires has been significant and enduring, especially with the reduction of feeding services by other players. The sudden scaling back of these services left a gap that our community has been desperately working to address. I am grateful to the Maui United Way Board of Directors for moving quickly to help fill the puka so families can continue to have access to nutritious, culturally appropriate meals grown by Maui farmers.” said Jennifer Karaca, founding executive director of the Common Ground Collective.
“For years, Common Ground Collective has been a steadfast partner of Maui United Way. Previous grants since the fires have helped CGC and its hui allowed them to serve over 230,000 hot meals, 15,000 food boxes and deliver hundreds of thousands of pounds of food items to west side hubs daily, including fresh produce and proteins from local growers and suppliers.” said Makana Rosete of the project, who is the community impact coordinator for the Maui United Way.