Hale Makua’s Response to Maui Wildfires

Unity in the Face of Adversity

The recent wildfires on Maui have left a significant impact on our community, touching each one of us in some way or another. The devastation has been profound, but the resilience, unity, and aloha spirit that these challenging times have sparked are truly inspiring. We’ve seen an outpouring of support and offers of assistance from every corner, filling our hearts with immense gratitude.

In response to the ongoing needs of our community, we are proud to announce the establishment of the Hale Makua Emergency/Disaster Relief Fund. This initiative is driven by the purpose of extending crucial assistance to those impacted by unforeseen emergencies or disasters, like the devastating Maui wildfires that swept through our picturesque island just last month. We acknowledge that the path to recovery is a lengthy and challenging one, necessitating significant funding for sustained, long-term support.

Together, we can make a difference and help rebuild the lives affected by these unfortunate events.

The Hale Makua Emergency/Disaster Relief Fund

Empowering Recovery

The Relief Fund will be made available to the public, prioritizing Hale Makua and Ohana Pacific Health staff, their immediate families, residents, and compromised individuals. We believe substantial funding will be required for long-term support, and we invite you to contribute by clicking the donation button at the end of this post.

Our Efforts: Making a Difference

Over the past month, we have initiated a host of measures to support our staff, residents, and the community impacted by this disaster:

• We have accepted additional admissions from the hospital and the community to provide support during this crisis.
• Established a temporary triage in front of Hale Makua Kahului during the first week of the disaster to offer urgent care services for the community.
• Coordinated efforts with various agencies such as the County of Maui, Hawaii Emergency Management Agency (HEMA), Healthcare Association of Hawaii, PharMerica, Maui District Health Office, Hui No Ke Ola Pono, Malama I Ke Ola, Hospice Maui, among others to provide supplies and relief aid.
• Dispatched teams of staff to bring in supplies, provide medical assistance, and distribute medication to individuals and families stranded in Lāhainā, as well as transport individuals to shelters.
• Checked on kūpuna and individuals in shelters needing care.
• Opened up Luana Living of Kihei, an upcoming Ohana Pacific Health memory care facility on Maui, to house any employees and their immediate families impacted by the fires.
• Taken inventory of our available space at our Wailuku Care Home and are reviewing capacity to provide more service with Home Health Hale Makua.
• Developed a cohesive plan for both short-term and long-term recovery of Maui.
• Acquired a $250,000 grant from the Hawaii Community Foundation Maui Strong Campaign to help our Hale Makua (and Ohana Pacific Health) staff, immediate family, Hale Makua residents, unsheltered individuals, and compromised individuals.
• Created the Hale Makua Emergency/Disaster Relief Fund to support our staff, their families, residents, and the community impacted by the Maui wildfires and other emergencies/disasters.

We would like to express our deepest gratitude and appreciation to our incredible administrators, Teana Kahoʻohanohano and Paul Mattfeld, as well as our exceptional leadership team, for their relentless dedication in organizing these efforts. Additionally, we extend our heartfelt thanks to our hardworking staff members who have been diligently managing the influx of admissions and to those who have been bravely serving on the frontlines in Lāhainā. Your unwavering commitment and selflessness are truly commendable.