Malo e lelei, aloha kākou, and hello to everyone:

My name is 'Ofeina, and I was born on the island of Maui, and raised in my beloved hometown of Lāhainā. My family and I are so grateful to consider this place our home. Lāhainā is a place filled with history and the strongest, heartfelt community that has made me who I am today.

But today, it is unrecognizable. Our hometown had recently been hit with an unimaginable amount of brushfires due to the high wind speeds of Hurricane Dora combined with our extremely dry 'āina (land). Before we knew it, most of our home had been consumed by the flames, including my family's apartment complex.

Thankfully, my family and two dogs are safe and is currently residing with a relative on the other side of the island. I currently live on the island of O'ahu, and being this far away from them makes me feel so helpless.

My family was unable to grab many of their belongings, as they were forced to evacuate quickly. I can't give much to my family right now, but if I can bring in some type of income for them to fulfill their basic needs --- food, water, clothing, hygiene items, etc., I feel that this is worth the shot. My grandmother and parents are the most hard-working individuals I know, and to see everything they've worked for disappear in an instant is truly heartbreaking, so this is my way of giving back to them. Anything helps my family, and I appreciate and thank you for all of the love, aloha, and 'ofa being shown to my family and anybody back home. Your donation will not go unnoticed, and all proceeds will go to my direct family pictured above in hopes that this will provide them with a little bit of relief amidst the chaos that they've experienced in the past 48 hours alone.

Pictured above from left to right: Heather Filikitonga (my mother), myself, Iengikola Filikitonga (my father), Mo'onia Filikitonga (my sister), Henry Filikitonga (my brother), and Ilaisaane Talanoa (my grandmother).

'I he 'ofa, me ke aloha, and with love,

'Ofeina