Aloha, my name is Leinaala Benson, and I am 82 years old. My family and I recently suffered severe damage from the earthquake that struck Honaunau, Hawaiʻi. The home my husband built by hand over many years has been deeply affected, and it has been heartbreaking for our family to see the damage. My husband and I spent our lives slowly building and adding onto this property whenever we could afford to. Every room, wall, and addition holds memories of our family, our children, and our grandchildren. This home is not just a house to us — it is a piece of our life’s work and history.
The earthquake was terrifying. The foundation shifted, windows and glass shattered, shelves collapsed, doors broke off their hinges, and many dearly loved family artifacts were damaged or lost. Our water pump broke during the quake, causing us to lose nearly 15,000 gallons of stored water. We previously had four full water tanks, and now only one remains working. Our solar system was also damaged, leaving us struggling to maintain basic necessities. Our home was already old and battling termite damage, and the earthquake made everything much worse. At 82 years old, my husband and I are no longer physically capable of making many of these repairs ourselves, and financially we simply do not have the resources to restore what has been lost.
This property is incredibly special to our family. It is beautiful, filled with generations of memories, and means more to us than words can express. We are humbly asking for any support possible through this GoFundMe to help us repair our home, restore water and power systems, and make the property safe again for our family. Any donation, prayer, or sharing of our story would mean the world to us. From the bottom of our hearts, mahalo for your kindness, support, and compassion during this difficult time. Me ke aloha, the Benson ‘ohana.
The earthquake was terrifying. The foundation shifted, windows and glass shattered, shelves collapsed, doors broke off their hinges, and many dearly loved family artifacts were damaged or lost. Our water pump broke during the quake, causing us to lose nearly 15,000 gallons of stored water. We previously had four full water tanks, and now only one remains working. Our solar system was also damaged, leaving us struggling to maintain basic necessities. Our home was already old and battling termite damage, and the earthquake made everything much worse. At 82 years old, my husband and I are no longer physically capable of making many of these repairs ourselves, and financially we simply do not have the resources to restore what has been lost.
This property is incredibly special to our family. It is beautiful, filled with generations of memories, and means more to us than words can express. We are humbly asking for any support possible through this GoFundMe to help us repair our home, restore water and power systems, and make the property safe again for our family. Any donation, prayer, or sharing of our story would mean the world to us. From the bottom of our hearts, mahalo for your kindness, support, and compassion during this difficult time. Me ke aloha, the Benson ‘ohana.