Whenever there's a major disaster, people often donate first to World Central Kitchen because they know they'll be there on the ground, meeting the immediate need of feeding people. Which is great, but survivors will need many other kinds of help to get on their feet. Officials are asking people to make cash donations to non-profits already active in Hawaii. Via the Honolulu Star-Advertiser:
State and local officials are recommending cash donations to reputable nonprofit organizations active in Hawaii as the public show of support from around the world continues to pour in after the devastating wildfires.
“While gifts of food, clothing and other physical items are appreciated, the sheer volume of goods donated has begun to overwhelm some groups that have been accepting such donations,” the state said in a press release. “Deliveries of donated items have been made by sea to Maui, but vehicles have been unable to take them away from the dock to where survivors need them, emergency workers reported Saturday.”
State officials are recommending these opportunities to help:
Hawai‘i Community Foundation – Maui Strong Fund
Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement – Kāko‘o Maui
FundraiserMaui United Way – Maui Fire Disaster Relief
Organizations or entities that would like to assist in the relief effort are asked to contact John Vierra at the Hawai‘i Emergency Management Agency at 808-733-4300, extension 548, or email MauiStrongAssist@hawaii.gov.
Meanwhile, within hours, Joe Biden declared a federal emergency and the federal government is hard at work:
