How to Help After the Maui Wildfire

The devastating wildfire on the Hawaiian island of Maui has displaced thousands of people and destroyed beloved homes, businesses, and landmarks in the historic town of Lahaina. Currently, the fire has burned over 1,000 acres of land, and firefighters are still active, battling flare-ups in Lahaina and in Maui’s inland Upcountry region.

In the aftermath of the wildfire, there are many families and individuals who need assistance, and the long rebuilding and healing process will be difficult. If you want to contribute to relief efforts in Maui, there are plenty of ways you can help.

Just remember, there are plenty of nonprofits who have dedicated their time to relief efforts in Maui. To ensure that your money is going to the right places, use tools like Charity Navigator, Candid (formerly GuideStar),and TEOS (tax-exempt organization search) to evaluate the legitimacy and impact of the organizations you’re donating to before you give.

Here are some options for you: 

Support the First Responders 

• The American Red Cross and the American Red Cross of Hawaii have mobilized to open shelters, distribute emergency supplies, help with damage assessment, and locate missing loved ones. If you’re interested in donating to support relief efforts, you can make a gift here. If you’re currently on the islands and interested in volunteering, check out volunteer opportunities here. 
• Heart to Heart International has been working with partners on the ground in Maui to determine medical and supply needs and readying supplies in their warehouses to be shipped out to healthcare organizations, medical clinics, and others who have been impacted by the fire. Support their relief efforts here. 
• The Salvation Army is activating to provide displaced persons and others needing help with food, shelter, emotional and spiritual care, and other critical services. 
• The Hawai’i Community Foundation opened the Maui Strong Fund to provide financial support for rapid response and recovery resources. The fund will support a variety of evolving needs, including shelter, food, financial assistance, and other services, as identified by partners on the ground in Maui. Donate here to provide support. 
• Americares has deployed an emergency team and shipped out supplies to survivors of the fire, working on the ground in the hardest hit communities. They’re working with local healthcare facilities and coordinating emergency shipments of vital supplies from medicine to hygiene kits. Donate here to support their work. 
• GlobalGiving is supporting wildfire relief and recovery efforts in Hawaii with their Hawaii Wildfire Relief Fund. Funds raised are being used to provide supplies and emergency relief to people and animals, support firefighters and frontline workers, and meet other needs that emerge over time. Contribute to the fund here. 
• The Hawaiʻi People’s Fund is raising money for resources that will support past, present, and future partners of the organization on the ground in Maui. The organization’s mission is to aid grassroots heroes that are already engaged in providing care and nurturing the communities impacted by the fires. 

Find the Helpers 

• The American Logistics Aid Network (ALAN) has activated to respond to the Maui wildfire and is interfacing with nonprofits and organizations on the ground in Maui to determine where help is most needed. Check out their website and their active logistics needs to find out how you can provide support or donate here to support relief efforts. 
• Feeding America is working with their partners on the ground in Maui to support recovery efforts and provide care in the immediate aftermath of the fires. Donate here to provide support. 
• The World Central Kitchen is providing fresh meals and water to first responders and families in need. So far, they’ve provided more than 16,000 meals and have three public meal distribution sites in the western Maui towns of Lahaina, Kaanapali, and Napili, the communities most heavily impacted by the fires. They are currently working with Common Ground Collective and Chef Hui—two organizations that have gathered local chefs to prepare thousands of hot meals out of a community college’s kitchen. 
• Maui Food Bank is collecting canned goods, packaged foods, hygiene products, and more to distribute to people who have been affected by the wildfire. You can register a disaster food drop-off on their website or sign up to be a disaster response volunteer if you’re in Maui and want to contribute. 
• The Maui Humane Society is providing pet supplies and emergency kits to owners and pets and has veterinarians on standby at shelters to treat animals needing medical attention. They are also working to reunite lost pets with their owners. If you’re in Maui and have lost a pet or have found one, fill out a lost or found report. To support the Maui Humane Society, donate here and join their mutual aid Facebook group to see how else you can help. 
• Aloha United Way and Maui United Way are providing immediate support through grants for local nonprofits offering disaster relief, distributing information for community members looking for shelter, and looking forward to scaling operations to support intermediate and long-term relief efforts. Donate to support Aloha United Way and Maui United Way online. 
• Hawaii Habitat for Humanity Association and Habitat affiliates in Hawaii are working to get ready for the recovery efforts in Lahaina and other communities affected by the fire once it’s safe to start rebuilding. You can donate and sign up to volunteer here. 
• Baby2baby has already sent thousands of emergency supplies to families and children affected by the wildfires with more cargo planes on the way. 

Give People a Place to Stay

The Maui wildfire has destroyed nearly every structure in Lahaina, a town of 13,000 people. Initial estimates say that more than 2,000 buildings, including homes, hotels, and retail shops have either been completely destroyed or damaged. One of the best ways to support communities who have lost their homes is to open up your own home to those in need. Airbnb lets people offer living accommodations to those who have been displaced and donate to cover the cost of temporary accommodations. Learn more about the program and how to get involved here.   

Keep an Eye on This Page for Updates

As more nonprofits mobilize to send relief, supplies, and aid to Maui, we’ll update this list. Check back periodically for updates!