Maui Needs Your Help

Update: Mahalo Nui Loa to all of you. We are personally handling your donation. Working with our neighbors and friends yo support central and upcountry shelters. Coordinating daily with with shelter managers to help where it’s needed the most. The current need for safety is tennis shoes, not sandals. Buying and delivering as many pairs of Tennis shoes as I can find for men women and children.

This is Beth Holiday. Thanks to all of you for checking in with us. You probably already heard that we're safe physically. Our town, Kula, was the secondary fire site to all of the devastation in Lahaina. We too had to evacuate. As we drove away, the fire was all around our neighborhood. We were sure that we'd never see our home again. Our house was spared while two others in our neighborhood burned to the ground along with many more in our town. We still have helicopters flying over our house dumping water on hot spots at a higher elevation. The Kula fire is only 50% contained.

The government and other agencies have arrived and are focused on the largest devastation, which is in Lahaina. With a current death toll of 93 souls, 1,000 others missing and 2200 structures gone, we haven't begun to address the needs of all of the displaced. Almost everyone we know, who has an extra room, space in their garage, or a storage shed is providing shelter. Our friends escaped Lahaina with the clothes on their backs and their getaway car. Despite all the chaos, we were grateful to find one another and move them in with us.

The media has been covering this tragedy and many of you may have already donated. If you have donated, Maui's residents sincerely thank you. If you haven't or would like to give more, please consider this "go fund me." Any amount is appreciated.

My friends and I, mostly from the real estate industry, are raising money for people we know who need a hand-up. There are so many single parents with 1-6 kids who lost everything including their livelihood. This is just one example of the thousands of stories filled with loss and grief.

We didn't go public with this page due to all of the scams. We are reaching out to friends and family for financial help. All monies received will be given directly to those who need it most. Please feel free to send this link to "your friends and family" if they are looking for a safe spot to donate. You can rest assured that your donation will be utilized at the highest level to help as many as possible.

In Hawaiian culture, the concept of "Ohana," means helping and supporting your extended family or community. Aloha is an attitude of love, compassion and kindness toward others. Aloha encourages treating everyone with respect and empathy which benefits everyone. "Kokua" offers assistance to friends or strangers in need, whether it's providing food, shelter, or offering support.

We hope that none of you ever have to experience this overwhelming crisis. It is more than any one person can handle. We all need each other.

Please tap into your "Aloha Spirit" and "Kokua" our "Ohana."