Help Auntie Nonie Soares

Right now, my Hanai auntie, Nonie Soares is stuck. Nonie is a beloved rancher in Ka'ū on Hawai'i Island, and for over 30 years she has made a home and a living on the ranch, dedicated to regenerative agriculture and teaching youth in the community. Nonie had a large riding program and welcomed children onto the ranch to learn about horses, goats, and farming. The ranch was Nonie’s livelihood and pride. On August 15-16, 2026, Hurricane Lala changed everything in a matter of hours. The Hilea River jumped its banks and flooded Nonie’s home, compromising the foundation. Highway 11 is impassable on both sides of the home because flash flooding affected large sections of the road, leaving Nonie isolated, without a reliable power source or resources, unable to leave and not easily reached.

Nonie lost many of her beloved dairy goats, along with countless others in the larger Boer goat herd. Extensive gardens washed away, and although the land cannot even be fully surveyed yet, it is almost certain that fence lines across the whole property were destroyed. That means the horses and cattle are now loose on the mountain, unaccounted for and at risk. Ka'ū was the hardest-hit area on the island, and this rural ranching community is facing a long road back.

This fundraiser will help provide emergency water, food, and supplies the moment roads reopen, structural repairs to Nonie’s flood-damaged home, rebuilding fence lines, locating and recovering livestock, and basic living costs while Nonie is unable to work the land.

Nonie doesn't have her own children and her sister and father are also very affected by Lala, further south outside of Na'alehu. Currently Nonie has no service or way of getting to the bank so her Hanai Ohana, Celeste and Hina Barcia, are setting this up on her behalf and will make sure every dollar reaches Nonie directly.

Thank you for reading Nonie’s story, for any support you are able to give, and for sharing this with others. Nonie needs a community behind her.