E Kū Ka'ū: Stand Up Ka'ū
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$8,871 raised of
64 donations
Help Us Bring Food & Essential Supplies to Kaʻū After Hurricane Lala
In the aftermath of Hurricane Lala, ʻohana throughout Kaʻū are facing immediate needs. Power outages and other disruptions caused by the storm have left families and individuals needing food, drinking water, ice, fuel, propane, and other basic necessities. We have already distributed food and supplies since day one-even tapping into our own personal funds-cause people need help now-we don't have time to wait for help to come.
ʻApoākea is here to kōkua.
ʻApoākea is a Hawaiʻi-based 501 c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to strengthening our communities and addressing disparities through culturally grounded, community-driven work. Our connection to Kaʻū is especially important to us. This is not simply a community we serve—this is our home.
Members of our organization live in Kaʻū, have deep family and ancestral ties throughout the district, and have been working within these communities long before Hurricane Lala arrived.
In the immediate aftermath of the storm, members of our team began using their own personal funds and resources to purchase food, water, ice, and other supplies and bring them directly into the community.
We will continue doing everything we can, but the need is becoming greater than what a few individuals can carry alone.
That is why ʻApoākea is asking for your kōkua.
Kaʻū is THE largest and most rural district in Hawaiʻi. Our community is spread across great distances, and when infrastructure, power, transportation, and access to basic necessities are disrupted, reaching families can become especially difficult.
But these are not simply names on a map. These are our neighbors, friends, kūpuna, keiki, and ʻohana. When someone down the road is struggling, we don't see them as someone else's responsibility. They are part of our community, and in Kaʻū, we take care of one another.
We don't have the time to wait for help. We haveloaded up vehicles to bring in supplies, prepare food, or help somebody get through another day. We have been doing this, and we're going to keep on doing what we can.
How Your Donations Will Be Used
Funds raised through this fundraiser will be received and managed by ʻApoākea and used to support disaster-relief efforts for ʻohana and individuals impacted by Hurricane Lala throughout Kaʻū.
Depending on the needs of each community, donations may be used for:
- Drinking and bottled water
- Bags of ice, especially for households trying to preserve food and medication during power outages
- Propane for cooking and other essential household needs
- Gas and fuel to support essential transportation and relief efforts, particularly while access to fuel within Kaʻū remains limited
- Hot meals and prepared food for those who may not currently have the ability to cook
- Shelf-stable and easy-to-prepare foods, including canned goods, rice, snacks, and other basic groceries
- Dog and cat food, because our animals are part of our ʻohana too
- Baby and keiki necessities, including diapers, wipes, baby food, and formula when needed
- Feminine hygiene products
- Basic household and sanitation supplies, including paper products, trash bags, cleaning supplies, and personal hygiene items
- Transportation and other reasonable costs necessary to purchase, transport, and distribute relief supplies
- Other urgent necessities identified by our families and communities as recovery continues
The needs following a disaster can change from one day to the next. Because of that, funds may also be used to respond to new or unexpected essential needs as conditions change.
Our priority will remain the same: getting practical help, food, and necessary supplies directly into Kaʻū.
Every donation helps us stretch this effort further—another bag of ice, another case of water, another hot meal, another tank of gas, another ʻohana we can reach.
We know that we cannot solve everything. But we can do something. And when our community comes together—individuals, families, businesses, organizations, and supporters from across Hawaiʻi and beyond—we can do much more.
If you are able to give, mahalo nui loa for your kōkua. If you aren't able to donate right now, sharing this fundraiser is another meaningful way to help us reach more people and bring additional resources into Kaʻū.
Me ka haʻahaʻa,
Organizer
