Mahalo Nui Loa | Over $400,000 donated for Maui recovery

Message from our Conference Minister, David K. Popham

With gratitude overflowing our hearts, the Conference Office can announce that this week the contributions to the 2023 Hawai‘i Wildfires Fund have surpassed $400,000. This represents gifts both great and small from folks across Hawai‘i, the continental U.S., and Japan who are standing in solidarity with our Maui ‘ohana and those directly and secondarily affected by the fires and their aftermath.

One log in the fireplace warms the corner, several logs in the fireplace warm the room. These generous gifts enable the Conference to be a partner in the long-term recovery of Maui.

Funds from the Conference office are already at work on Maui in various ways: delivery of poi, temporary housing, portions of down payments as individuals replace vehicles lost to the fire, and gift cards distributed through crisis centers for families to purchase items of immediate need. These donations also allow us to meet emerging needs such as back-to-school items for displaced children. Currently, we are still refining how to be a partner for long-term recovery but are looking at pastoral support for Maui pastors, material support for rebuilding, and support for the Waiola Church whose buildings were destroyed in the fire. We will also support the work of our congregations on Maui as they organize local responses to emerging needs.

The national United Church of Christ has been a partner throughout this time. We continue to celebrate their appeal which itself has received over $250,000 and we are thankful for those who give through this avenue. To date, the United Church Funds has given $12,500 in support and Global H.O.P.E. has released an initial $10,000 from the appeal for immediate and critical needs.

For those still wishing to donate we ask the following:

Those living in Hawai‘i or who are not part of the United Church of Christ, please give through the Hawai‘i Conference fund: bit.ly/hcuccrelief
For those in the United Church of Christ outside of Hawai‘i, please give through the national United Church of Christ appeal: bit.ly/ucchifires
For those who are part of the Retirement Housing Foundation, please give through their in-house donation drive: fundraise.givesmart.com/form/glZoEw

While it takes all the logs to warm the room, and no list of donors is ever complete, we do want to raise up those entities that have been especially generous with their giving as of September 22.

Donating $5,000 - $10,000: