The Power of Kākou

Elevating the collective power of aloha

We believe in the power of the collective and that our shared aloha for those we serve is our most valuable resource. Since day one, Nā Kia’i O Maui has been all about collaborations. We will work with anyone and everyone that enables us to better serve the people. Some of our key collaborations and relationships have been detailed in the following pages.

Maui Rapid Response

Maui Rapid Response is an ‘ahupua’a based disaster response team founded in 2020 that provides a wide array of services for the people impacted by the August fires. MRR and Project Vision requested Nā Kia’i O Maui collaborate with them for the build of Pu’uhonua O Nēnē. MRR continued to provide donations and services throughout our time at Pu’uhonua O Nēnē. MRR is also gathering furniture for families and will partner with Nā Kia’i O Maui to move furniture currently housed in several locations to LRRC for distribution to families.

Project Vision

Project Vision is a humanitarian nonprofit that seeks to increase access of health and human services for homeless people of Hawai’i. Nā Kia’i O Maui developed a close relationship with Project Vision over the four months that Aunty Nettie was the Project Manager at Pu’uhonua O Nēnē. Project Vision will house a case management specialist at LRRC to work with displaced families and provide wrap around services.

Hui O Wa‘a Kaulua

Hui O Wa’a Kaulua is a nonprofit organization that runs educational programs using voyaging to nurture values of mālama honua. Their double-hulled canoe Mo’okiha o Pi’ilani is an important outdoor classroom. Hui O Wa’a Kaulua has been working steadily with Na Kia’i O Maui since our days at Central Hub by providing and distributing donations throughout Maui. We will continue to work closely with Hui O Wa’a Kaulua at the LRRC.

Red Cross

Nā Kia’i O Maui first worked with Red Cross at the War Memorial shelter and this relationship was strengthened as families moved to hotels. In those early days families were mistrustful of FEMA and Red Cross and Red Cross asked Nā Kia’i O Maui (then known as Da Hui) to step in and become ambassadors to connect families to the wrap around services that were being provided at the hotels. They also asked Nā Kia’i O Maui to train their volunteers to continue the work we were providing at the hotels.

Aumana

Aumana is a Maui-based nonprofit organization that collaborated with Nā Kia’i O Maui to build and run Central Hub. Aumana provided all the heavy equipment and the open lot where we set up our Hub. We will continue to work with Aumana to help heal Lahaina.

‘Ohana Keiki Exchange

‘Ohana Keiki Exchange secures and distributes donations for families in need on the island of Maui. They also host events for families especially during special holidays to share donated goods. ‘Ohana Keiki Exchange has been providing donations to Nā Kia’i O Maui since Central Hub to the present.

Hope Chapel Kihei

Hope Chapel, like many other Maui churches, really stepped up to help survivors impacted by the August fires. When Nā Kia’i O Maui was at the War Memorial, Hope Chapel provided critical donations that filled gaps not already met with donated goods. We would text them our needs and they would send out their shoppers and show up with just what we asked for.

Sugar Beach Events

Sugar Beach Events is a business that runs an ocean-front venue in Kihei. They supported Nā Kia’i O Maui by providing meals for our volunteers from our early days at War Memorial and then at Central Hub. They also provided meals directly to displaced families, first responders, and volunteers throughout Maui.

Boys and Girls CLUB

Boys and Girls Clubs of Maui is a youth-focused organization that provides centers and support for youth on Maui. They have supported Nā Kia’i O Maui by providing donations to Pu’uhonua o Nēnē.

Polynesian Adventure tours

Polynesian Adventure Tours, Aunty Nettie’s former employer, provided buses, sprinters, and cargo vans to deliver donations to hubs in West Maui and they are continuing to provide free services to Lahaina. When the War Memorial Center shut down, they worked with Nā Kia’i O Maui to bus all the donations out to hubs.

Maui Rescue Mission

Maui Rescue Mission provides essential services to the homeless community on Maui including mobile showers, bathrooms, and laundry services. Maui Rescue Mission worked with Nā Kia’i O Maui to provide laundry services for Pu’uhonua O Nēnē.

Kihei Canoe Club & Na Kai ‘Ewalu Canoe Club

Kihei Canoe Club and Na Kai ‘Ewalu Canoe Club provided the large tents we used for Central Hub.

Bower’s Construction

Bower’s Construction donated flooring and side walls for Central Hub.

Aloha Bright

Aloha Bright provided donations at Central Hub.

Pukalani Nazarene Church

Pukalani Nazarene Church provided donations at Central Hub and Pu’uhonua O Nēnē.

My Tita’s Cafe

My Tita’s Cafe provided food and beverages at War Memorial and would come out on the weekends and set up their tent and provide free drinks and food for survivors.

Hawaii Tours Official

Hawaii Tours Official worked with Nā Kia’i O Maui to provide donations and helped with distributions to impacted families.

We also worked closely with the leaders at the 38+ hubs that we serviced while at Central Hub.

In addition to these local Maui businesses and organizations, there are several key individuals that we worked closely with over the past seven months.

In the very early days immediately following the August fires, while communications were still down, Aunty Kanani Adolpho would take supplies from War Memorial and deliver them by helicopter or boat to the pockets of people still in Lahaina.

One volunteer provided a flatbed truck for Nā Kia’i O Maui’s use from War Memorial through Pu’uhonua O Nēnē days. He would take all the laundry from War Memorial, have it washed, and return fresh linens.

A recently completed apartment complex in Wailuku, Ogawa Apartments, was used to house fire survivors. Fran Waite worked closely with Nā Kia’i O Maui to secure donations and care for these families. Fran also connected us with Kiley, a leader at the Kelawea Mauka hub who requested Nā Kia’i O Maui’s help to build infrastructure and secure donations at Kelawea Mauka

Todd Gailey, a fireman that came from the mainland, provided financial support for purchasing donations and salaries for core volunteers.

Toya Rasaga created our beautiful logo. These amazing folks are just a few notable examples of the vast ‘upena (net) that sustains Nā Kia’i O Maui’s work.

Our Funders

Nā Kia’i O Maui has received very little funding to date. We are so thankful to the Hawai’i’s People’s Fund that awarded us a $7,500 Urgent Action Grant as well as a $20,000 Maui Aloha grant. We also received a $5,000 donation from the Dorrance Family Foundation and a $4,500 donation from Pamela Tronson. Our fiscal sponsor Hōlani Hāna also passed along a $5,000 donation from Makoa Quest and a second $5,000 donation that has directly supported our efforts. These funds have helped us to sustain our core positions and purchase critical supplies. We have been awarded a $25,000 discretionary grant from the Weinberg Foundation through Aloha United Way as a fiscal sponsor.

In addition to these local Maui groups, we have also built strong partnerships with mainland-based organizations that are supporting fire relief efforts on Maui. Nā Kia’i O Maui provides cultural and community orientation for mainland-based groups to help better orient and prepare them for working with the Maui community.

Good360

Good360 works with companies to secure donated goods for nonprofit groups using a survivor-centric approach to support long-term recovery. Good360 is committed to providing donations and funding for nonprofit organizations involved in long-term relief efforts for Maui. Good360 will be providing donations of goods for LRRC.

Praying Pelicans

Praying Pelicans is an interdenominational ministry that works with local grassroots organizations and agencies to serve the community during disaster response and recovery. Praying Pelicans has been providing support to Maui as of March to support long-term recovery needs. Praying Pelicans will provide volunteers for LRRC and all Maui communities and nonprofits such as Lahaina Strong, Maui Strong, Upcountry Strong, and other communities of Maui. Nā Kia’i O Maui has also connected Praying Pelicans to community groups involved in long-term recovery.

All Hands and Hearts

All Hands and Hearts is disaster relief organization working internationally that has been helping to coordinate and provide volunteer support for grassroots community efforts. All Hands and Hearts will be supporting the LRRC with 7-10 full-time volunteers that will rotate out every two weeks.

Sails to Shelter

Sails to Shelter is a nonprofit organization that reclaims large used sails to give them a second life as a variety of useful products such as shelters, walls, backpacks, etc. Sails to Shelter currently has thousands of yards of this versatile material on Maui that is not available to the public commercially. Sails to Shelter is going to provide sail material to Nā Kia’i O Maui to be used to construct a workshop and we are exploring other ways to use the material. We will be collaborating on future projects together.