Serving the People

Central Hub & Kelawea Mauka Makai

Once the shelter closed at War Memorial, Da Hui relocated to 150 Hāna Highway to build a central hub where donations could be received, sorted, and distributed to a network of 38+ community hubs in Lahaina and throughout Maui. These hubs provided a critical lifeline to impacted ‘ohana by delivering essential goods and services directly to families near where they were residing.

After learning that a popular clothing brand already had the name “Da Hui,” Aunty Nettie gave us a new name— Nā Kia’i O Maui, meaning the protectors of Maui. The ‘ohana of 1000+ volunteers we forged at War Memorial and our robust network of donors, agencies, and community organizations stayed with us as we pivoted to support community hubs.

Within a matter of days, we turned a dusty open lot into a fully functioning hub with large tents, plywood flooring, pods for sorted goods, containers for secure storage, volunteer respite tents, portpotties, and wind blocks. We also quickly formalized safety protocols and volunteer engagement procedures, secured equipment and equipment operators (flat bed truck, forklift), and mobilized our networks to secure donations based on what communities were asking for—all without any paid positions or grant funding. We sustained these efforts Monday through Saturday through midSeptember.

During our time at 150 Hana Hwy we learned of the plight of the Kelawea Mauka Makai community where neighborhoods in Lahaina that were spared adjacent to the burn zone were largely being forgotten. Toxins in the air and water were a huge concern and there was a need for essential supplies such as drinking water and air purifiers. We quickly responded and helped to set up infrastructure for this hub while securing and distributing these critical donations.