Kaua‘i Relief and Recovery Fund Update NOVEMBER 2018
HAWAI‘I COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OAHU 827 FORT STREET MALL HONOLULU, HI 96813, (808) 537‐6333 KAUAI 4268 RICE ST # K, LIHUE, HI 96766, (808) 245‐4585
Executive Summary In mid‐April 2018, massive rainstorms hit Kaua‘i with devastating impact. The National Weather Service recorded over 50 inches of rain in Hanalei within a 24‐hour period and bad weather continued to devastate the island for days following the initial storm, complicating already difficult recovery efforts. The North Shore and South Shore of Kaua‘i were particularly hard hit. Thanks to the generosity of Pierre and Pam Omidyar and two anonymous donors, Hawai‘i Community Foundation (HCF) quickly established the Kaua‘i Relief and Recovery Fund (KRRF) and began distributing grants within 24 hours of the creation of the fund to serve the critical needs of the community. HCF decided it would waive all service fees associated with the fund for 90 days to ensure that donations were being immediately delivered to those who needed them most. In the four months since the creation of the Kaua‘i Relief and Recovery Fund, nearly $1.9 million has been raised through the immense generosity of over 200 private foundations and individual donors. Approximately $1.3 million has already been distributed and committed to more than 30 grantees. HCF determined that the focus of the Kaua‘i Relief and Recovery Fund would address three main areas: 1) Community Stabilization; 2) Short‐Term Recovery; and 3) Long‐Term Rebuilding. COMMUNITY STABILIZATION In addition to immediate concerns regarding the distribution of emergency supplies and the assessment of the health and safety of island residents, the community quickly identified childcare as a critical need. To that end, HCF created an educational partnership that placed preschoolers in safe childcare settings, enabling their parents to focus on stabilizing their households. At the same time, HCF worked with officials and representatives across the education spectrum to provide satellite classrooms and lunch service, HAWAI‘I COMMUNITY FOUNDATION KAUA‘I RELIEF AND RECOVERY FUND UPDATE 11/2018
replace damaged furniture and supplies, and assist students—from preschool to post‐secondary—with tuition. A key strategy HCF employed was to distribute funds to small nonprofit organizations on Kaua‘i so they could expand their reach, organize volunteers, and serve more island residents. Additional support from HCF was directed to the American Red Cross, Hawai‘i Foodbank, Kaua‘i North Shore Food Pantry, and the Kaua‘i Independent Food Bank. HCF’s development of a financial assistance mini‐grant program enabled funds to be distributed to farmers and islanders whose primary residences were affected by the floods. In isolated ahupua‘a (land divisions), there was also the challenge of utilizing existing heavy equipment to clear debris on impassible roads. HCF partnered with the National Tropical Botanical Garden and other community nonprofits to secure ATVs, hire local workers, and support ongoing clean‐up efforts and flood relief. In specific areas of the island, such as in Po‘ipū, HCF stepped up to support community‐based efforts initiated by community members and businesses. SHORT‐TERM RECOVERY After stabilizing access to emergency food and supplies and tackling childcare challenges and access to continued education, families looked for safe places to stay for a few months while they focused on rebuilding or remediating damage to their existing homes. Through Catholic Charities, HCF offered short‐term rental assistance. HCF’s support of Kaua‘i’s Child & Family Services (CFS) was in response to a noticeable shift in the need for access to mental, emotional, and social services to help residents navigate the complex relief aid and insurance processes and cope with the stress and trauma associated with the flooding.
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HCF funds also helped Hale Hālāwai create and administer a community survey that functioned as a connector between individuals and the services they were looking for. A separate grant to Hale Hālāwai allowed residents (many of whom had become unemployed overnight) to be hired to clear major streams and waterways. In response to scammers who were targeting flood victims, HCF worked with the Hawai‘i State Bar Association to warn and assist everyone who could be a target of fraudulent activities. LONG‐TERM REBUILDING As Kaua‘i residents get back to their new normal, systematic challenges such as housing and transportation remain the focus of the long‐term recovery effort. Many of the impacted homeowners did not have flood insurance and existing infrastructure repairs will take more than a year to complete. Because regaining a sense of normalcy is a key component to achieving recovery, HCF is supporting organizations that attract youth back into their after‐ school and summer activities. Funds from the KRRF will help the North Shore community create and implement a regional development plan. And HCF is supporting a large effort by Catholic Charities of Hawai‘i to provide financial assistance to up to 60 families affected by the floods. In terms of environmental and biological resilience, HCF is helping to support UH graduate students to study the fish populations on Kaua‘i’s North Shore and enable monitoring in the Community‐Based Sustainable Fisheries Area in Hanalei Bay and Haena once the roads reopen.
LESSONS LEARNED Nimble and flexible internal policies helped HCF to be as responsive as possible, enabling grants to be proposed, approved, and dispersed within 24 hours. By leveraging its existing infrastructure of communications, network of donors and philanthropic partners, and long‐standing community relationships, HCF was able to respond to the immediate needs of the community. While funds were deployed, HCF sought to maintain communication with donors and the general public to provide transparency and amplify the call for support to the outside world. We knew it was important to make grant reporting simple and easy to track for grantees at a time like this, and we recognized the benefit of unrestricted grants and donations for nonprofits to adapt to changing needs. The experience clarified three realities: 1) Nonprofit organizations and community leaders are the first line of defense for their communities in times of disaster; 2) Community leaders emerge and organize independently; and 3) Disaster relief requires nonprofit organizations to operate differently. Those that are well governed and positioned to be flexible and quick to action are the community’s best assets in times of disaster. KEY CONCLUSIONS A wide gap exists between the reality of a disaster situation and the community’s expectation of what government’s’ role should or can be in terms of recovery. It’s clear that the role of philanthropy was pivotal to creating and sustaining momentum for Kaua‘i’s recovery. HCF’s ability to quickly coalesce and create the Kaua‘i Relief and Recovery Fund proved be a beacon of hope for what a community can do when it works together to accomplish a greater goal for the betterment of all. To learn more about HCF’s commitment to Kaua‘i, visit www.HawaiiCommunityFoundation.org/KauaiRelief.
HAWAI‘I COMMUNITY FOUNDATION KAUA‘I RELIEF AND RECOVERY FUND UPDATE 11/2018
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Kaua‘i Relief and Recovery Fund Update November, 2018 In mid‐April 2018, massive rainstorms hit Kaua‘i with devastating impact. The National Weather Service recorded over 50 inches of rain in Hanalei within a 24‐hour period and bad weather continued to devastate the island for days following the initial storm, complicating already difficult recovery efforts. The subsequent flooding caused a multitude of problems ranging from dozens of landslides, washed‐out roads, overflowing drainage ditches, and countless homes destroyed by water damage. Although rainfall was felt throughout the island, the North Shore and South Shore of Kaua‘i were particularly hard hit. It became immediately apparent that, due to the multi‐layered emergency assessment process required for county, state and federal aid, the community would need to work together. Kaua‘i displayed impressive resilience and the Hawai‘i Community Foundation (HCF) galvanized all parties into immediate action to address the needs in the community. Thanks to the generosity of Pierre and Pam Omidyar and two anonymous donors, Hawai‘i Community Foundation quickly established the Kaua‘i Relief and Recovery Fund (KRRF) and was able to begin distributing grants within 24 hours of the creation of the fund to serve the critical needs of the community. HCF decided it would waive all service fees associated with the fund for 90 days to ensure that donations were being immediately delivered to those who needed them most. HCF’s Kaua‘i staff focused on convening community partners and overcoming the recovery effort’s logistical barriers. In the four months since the creation of the Kaua‘i Relief and Recovery Fund, nearly $1.9 million has been raised through the immense generosity of over 200 private foundations and individual donors. Approximately $1.3 million has already been distributed and committed to more than 30 grantees. Upon the fund’s creation, HCF determined that the focus of the Kaua‘i Relief and Recovery Fund would address three main areas: 1) Community Stabilization; 2) Short‐Term Recovery; and 3) Long‐Term Rebuilding.
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COMMUNITY STABILIZATION In addition to immediate concerns regarding the distribution of emergency supplies and the assessment of the health and safety of island residents, the community quickly identified childcare as a critical need. Parents needed the ability to normalize their situations so they could focus on stabilizing their households. In April, with the Community members load supplies into a helicopter for delivery to stranded Kaua‘i residents end of the school year fast approaching, it was also evident that the lives of students along the entire educational continuum ‐ from preschool to post‐secondary ‐ were going to be significantly disrupted and destabilized by the storm. Aloha Preschool and Hanalei Elementary School were badly damaged and considered unsafe for students. Students who attended Kapa‘a Middle School, Kapa‘a High School, and Kaua‘i Community College were not going to be able to attend classes in person with the main road deemed impassable. As the Department of Education worked through budgeting and procurement challenges, HCF worked tirelessly with officials and representatives across the education spectrum to ensure that students were equipped to finish out their school year with minimal interruption. Grants were provided to secure space at Hanalei Colony Resort to create three satellite classrooms with lunch service to serve 50 students through the end of the school year. Hanalei School’s PTSA and Aloha Preschool were provided with funding to replace damaged furniture and supplies so that students would be able to have a safe place to learn when they returned. In order to ensure that keiki had safe places to learn and play, HCF create partnerships between Kaua‘i Christian Academy, Aloha Preschool, Kaua‘i Babysitting Company, Waipa Foundation, and Tūtū & Me. As a result of these partnerships, 36 preschoolers were placed in safe childcare and 12‐14 families were supported through HCF’s efforts. Kaua‘i Community College was also provided resources with which to assist students with tuition as well as access to additional services and programs to minimize disruptions and keep them in school.
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As state and county officials worked to coordinate recovery efforts, HCF distributed funds to strengthen the capacity of organizations such as Waipa Foundation, Malama Kaua‘i, and Hale Hālāwai, which allowed them to expand their reach, organize volunteer teams, and serve more island residents. All three offered financial, logistical, and social services. Additional support was provided by HCF to the American Red Cross, Hawaii Foodbank, Kaua‘i North Shore Food Pantry, and the Kaua‘i Independent Food Bank to assist the community with much needed resources. The increased capacity allowed Kaua‘i nonprofit organizations to coordinate, manage, and more efficiently distribute over $100,000 of purchased supplies and over $500,000 in in‐kind donations to over 400 households. It also allowed for the coordination of a complex volunteer transportation network by working with over 100 volunteers utilizing a variety of boats, jet skis, all‐terrain vehicles (ATVs), and large machines. Development of a financial assistance mini‐grant program enabled $160,000 to be distributed to farmers and islanders whose primary residences were affected by the floods. In the initial month following the flood, food and supplies were provided to 150‐200 people daily through Opakapaka Grill for breakfast, and through YMCA Camp Naue for lunch and dinner. To date, over 140,000 pounds of food and supplies have been provided to individuals, families, and relief workers in the area; partnerships via mobile food pantries have served 165‐ 200 people from mid‐June to August. In isolated ahupua‘a (land divisions), there was also the challenge of utilizing existing heavy equipment to assist with clearing debris. With roads being impassable, HCF partnered with National Tropical Botanical Garden, Hui Maka‘ainana o Makana, and ‘Āina Ho‘okupu o Kilauea to provide funds for ATVs and to support Students in Hanalei, unable to reach their usual campuses due to flood damage, ongoing clean‐up efforts circle up to start the day at a temporary satellite school. and flood relief. The direct impact resulted in individuals continuing to earn wages at a time when they would have otherwise gone without, and positively impacted over 22‐32 households and 60‐80 individuals.
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With so much attention being given to the heavily impacted North Shore of Kaua‘i, HCF was also very cognizant of the struggles being felt in the Kona moku in the ahupua‘a of Kōloa. Dedicated community members moved swiftly to conduct damage assessments and canvassed homes to determine priority needs. Nearby businesses pulled together to donate appliances, housewares, and offer volunteers to families in need. HCF recognized the need to Food and supplies ready for those in need support this community‐based effort and partnered with Poipu Beach Foundation to ensure that resources were available for impacted families. In addition to ongoing efforts, 30 homes were canvassed, and 45 families were supported through this effort.
SHORT‐TERM RECOVERY Roughly a month after the initial storm and subsequent flooding, the immediate needs of Kaua‘i’s communities had stabilized to a degree and residents began looking to address larger challenges. After stabilizing access to emergency food and supplies and tackling childcare challenges and access to continued education, families looked for safe places to stay for a few months while they focused on rebuilding or remediating damage to their existing homes. A shortage of affordable housing is an ever‐present problem on Kaua‘i and the county decided to place a ban on the operation of Transient Vacation Rental (TVR) properties in the Wainiha‐ Haena area through July 23 . This was followed by an appeal to owners of impacted properties to utilize their properties to assist impacted Kaua‘i families. HCF offered to provide temporary rental assistance‐‐up to $1,800/month‐‐to help families bridge the temporary housing gap. These grants were disbursed through Catholic Charities. rd
There was also a noticeable shift to providing much‐needed access to mental, emotional, and social services. The devastating effects of the storm will likely pose lingering challenges over time. HCF’s support to quickly bolster Kaua‘i’s Child & Family Services (CFS) existing outreach allowed 150 families the opportunity to get assistance on a range of services. CFS helped by providing case management support, counseling, and mental health assessments, assistance in navigating the complex relief aid and insurance processes, and offered coping strategies to counter stress and trauma. As different government agencies began trying to address the complex situation in the impact areas, the need for accurate and timely baseline information also needed to be worked HAWAI‘I COMMUNITY FOUNDATION KAUA‘I RELIEF AND RECOVERY FUND UPDATE 11/2018
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through. Hale Hālāwai created and administered a community survey that became the central administrative focal point in the area to help connect individuals and families with critical services and provide data collection and management. Approximately 500 households, impacting 1,500 individuals from Haena to Kapaa were reviewed, triaged, and given outreach assistance. The community leaders in the area gathered in support of creating jobs for local residents, many of whom had become unemployed overnight, to assist with ongoing environmental clean‐up activities. Hale Hālāwai was awarded a grant of over $200,000 to employ residents to clear major streams and waterways. In a period of just one month, over 640 cubic yards of waste and debris were removed. Eighteen clean‐up workers contributed over 950 work hours directly towards the Haena and Wainiha debris removal efforts and 12 new hires contributed over 1,600 hours to support 500 families by providing case management and support. This important work continues as the rain and flooding continues to impact the North Shore of Kauai. While the recovery efforts following a natural disaster can be a wonderful example of the best of human nature and generosity, the negative side of human nature arises as well, unfortunately. As scammers and others targeted flood victims, it became important to educate, inform, and protect residents within the impacted communities. As such, HCF worked with the Hawai‘i State Bar Association to conduct Limahuli Garden staff and equipment assisted in post-storm clean-up workshops and staff a hotline message warning everyone to be on the lookout for fraudulent ads promoting appraisal and other services. Those who experienced loss due to flooding will receive help with preparing insurance claims and documents.
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LONG‐TERM REBUILDING As Kaua‘i continues to look forward, the strain and stress wrought by the emotional roller coaster of the past four months continues to weigh heavily on affected communities. Continued access to mental and social health services will be critical to assisting families as they adjust to new beginnings. HCF will support a large effort by Catholic Charities of Hawai‘i to provide financial Recovery workers review their plans for the day assistance to up to 60 families affected by the mid‐April floods. While the maximum time of support will not exceed six months, each family’s needs will be assessed and assistance will be tailored accordingly. HCF also plans to focus its long‐term rebuilding efforts to shift the negative impacts of April’s natural disaster from a liability to an opportunity. With regard to the North Shore of Kaua‘i, HCF has an opportunity to help the community shape its future by creating and implementing a regional development plan that will address the community’s desire to preserve its unique identity while prioritizing the region’s natural resource management, Hawaiian culture, and sense of place. Regaining a sense of normalcy is a key component to achieving recovery. HCF has committed support to organizations that help get youth back into their after‐school and summer activities by supporting organizations such as AYSO 941, Namolokama Canoe Club, and Hanalei Hawaiian Civic Club. By supporting AYSO 941, roughly 75‐100 youth, ages 3 to 13 years old, from Wailua to Haena, will be sponsored with soccer registration to help focus on safe and healthy exercise and sportsmanship. Just as the flora and fauna are starting to regrow and take root, it is also evident that the ocean is restocking its offerings. The University of Hawai‘i’s Hui ‘Āina Momona project allowed graduate students and local residents to take part in a study of the fish populations on Kaua‘I’s North Shore. The team has completed 35 surveys of fish and benthos and was able to conduct video surveys of fish behavior at 14 of these sites. Samples for chlorophyll analysis were collected at 18 sites and sediment was collected at 22 sites. Early data collections indicate that fish have re‐inhabited areas that they had long since abandoned since beaches are now less inhabited.
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Environmental and biological monitoring will be continued in the Community‐Based Sustainable Fisheries Area in Hanalei Bay and Haena once the roads reopen. Signs of growth and resilience are giving hope that the community can rebuild and recover better than ever before.
LESSONS LEARNED Hawai‘i Community Foundation found itself playing a new and vital role in disaster response. HCF leadership worked quickly to organize an internal reporting and peer review process so that grants could be proposed, approved, and dispersed within 24‐ hours. A key component of HCF’s ability to administer funds in the face of disaster is its Board of Governor’s policy that delegates grantmaking authority to key staff for grants up to $100,000. Nimble and flexible internal policies helped HCF to be as responsive and responsible as possible.
U.S. Senator Brian Schatz and Community Organizer Mehana Vaughn walk toward Hanalei Pier and discuss the recovery effort
While a flexible policy facilitated the process, the primary reason for HCF’s effectiveness in the wake of the disaster was the organization’s long‐standing and deep relationships within the community. HCF’s credibility with the responding nonprofit organizations, donors, government and business representatives, uniquely positioned HCF to be able to quickly build bridges across relationships to meet the diverse needs of the community. The April flooding was a unique challenge as most of the areas affected were in rural and isolated communities. Therefore, the nonprofit organizations supporting those communities were by most standards very small, with limited capacity. HCF decided to take the perspective of staying in proximity to the disaster and working with the small nonprofits to help expand their capacity. HCF made grants and provided guidance that took into consideration the organization’s ability to absorb their new funding and leadership position. Many grants were purposely made on a monthly basis so the organizations could continually assess their immediate needs and match them with their capacity. The state legislature responded with a $100 million appropriation to address flood damage. State and county agencies worked quickly to address life‐saving evacuations and assess road and infrastructure damage. It quickly became apparent that a wide gap exists between the reality of the situation and the community’s expectation of what government’s role in disaster response should be. Thanks to the hundreds of generous donations from around the world, the Kaua‘i Relief and Recovery Fund was able to address the needs of Kaua‘i’s communities quickly with critical philanthropic dollars. HAWAI‘I COMMUNITY FOUNDATION KAUA‘I RELIEF AND RECOVERY FUND UPDATE 11/2018
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Three lessons were learned regarding the ability of the community to address its immediate needs: 1) Nonprofit organizations and community leaders are the first line of defense for their communities in times of disaster; 2) Community leaders emerge and organize independently; and 3) Disaster relief requires nonprofit organizations to operate differently. Those that are well‐ governed and positioned to be flexible and quick to action are the community’s best assets in times of disaster. HCF also experienced organizational growth, as it is not typical for HCF to receive such a high volume of donations in such a condensed period of time. HCF’s entire staff of 70 employees pulled together to work beyond their daily responsibilities to help Kaua‘i’s flood victims. It was important to help donors give directly to the disaster, so HCF waived its administrative fee on all donations. It was endearing to read the hundreds of comments of how people around the world felt intimately connected with Kaua‘i, particularly Kaua‘i’s North Shore. We also learned it was difficult to manage restrictions on grants and donations for the reason that HCF had to react to needs as the disaster evolved. In cases of disaster, it is clear that unrestricted funds help to facilitate aid quickly. While HCF was committed to facilitate aid quickly, the team also understood the importance of tracking impact, both for donors as well as for community accountability. HCF quickly recognized that in times of disaster, many of the most critical organizations on the forefront of positive impact are busy working in the trenches of disaster relief and it’s difficult to Aloha Preschool is repaired and has welcomed students back to school expect lengthy outcome reports. It was important to make grant reporting simple and easy to track and HCF was able to customize and simplify its final report forms in order to accommodate the needs of KRRF grantees.
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KEY CONCLUSIONS Kaua‘i’s innate ability to pull together in times of need is an intangible strength that bolstered the communities of impacted areas when they needed it most. Early on and still today, community leaders have stepped up to help families and residents in need; the outpouring of love and concern was heartfelt and, at times, overwhelming. Having HCF quickly coalesce and create the Kaua‘i Relief and Recovery Fund provided donors with a trusted philanthropic resource with a reliable and long‐standing track record which proved to be critical to creating and sustaining momentum for the island’s recovery. First KRRF grants were deployed to quickly and strategically bolster the organizational capacity of several existing nonprofit organizations; this was a critical turning point in the recovery effort. Empowering trusted and familiar community members and providing opportunities for them to interface within their areas of knowledge greatly improved the ability of communities to stabilize themselves. By leveraging its existing infrastructure of communications, network of donors and philanthropic partners, and long‐standing community relationships, HCF was able to respond to the immediate needs of the community. As funds were deployed, it was imperative to maintain communication with donors and the general public to offer transparency into HCF’s work as well as amplify the call for support to the outside world. When possible, HCF photographed the nonprofit work, interviewed and aired podcasts from the field, and maintained web and email updates so that the impact of the generous donations to the Kaua‘i Recovery and Relief Fund could be shared in real time. These communications will continue as the work supported by the Kaua‘i Relief and Recovery Fund addresses Kaua‘i’s long‐term recovery and rebuilding needs. On Kaua‘i there is now a new “normal” as residents get back into the rhythm of life. However, systematic challenges have arisen. Housing and transportation will remain the focus of the long‐term recovery effort and strategies to address ongoing challenges with flood‐inundation zones, permitted structures, multiple ingress and egress points, and shuttle systems also will need to be addressed. The mid‐April 2018 storms meant a difficult and lengthy recovery for many of the families and communities located within the impact zones of portions of the North and South Shores. For a multitude of reasons, many of the impacted homeowners did not have flood insurance and existing infrastructure repairs will take more than a year to complete.
HCF remains committed to expanding upon existing partnerships while creating new opportunities to serve the important needs of Kaua‘i residents. While the mid‐April floods were indeed devastating, funds made available by KRRF’s generous donors proved be a beacon of hope for what a community can do when it works together to accomplish a greater goal for the betterment of all. To learn more about HCF’s commitment to Kaua‘i, visit www.HawaiiCommunityFoundation.org/KauaiRelief. HAWAI‘I COMMUNITY FOUNDATION KAUA‘I RELIEF AND RECOVERY FUND UPDATE 11/2018
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