Lava Evacuation Relief 4 Noa&Alexis
Donation protected
On May 3rd lava began to flow in our hometown of Pahoa in Puna, on the Big Island of Hawaii. The next day a 6.9 earthquake rattled our home in Kaimu right off its foundation. Our lives were instantly changed. Ourselves, most of our community and my livelihood all slowly drained out out of Puna as the lava poured in. We have been on the move ever since, staying at friends’ homes, and taking people up on their generous assistance with just about everything. Our car broke down shortly after evacuating, and spent an expensive week in the shop in Hilo. We stayed with various friends, but With a 18 month old, living out of the car is impossible and baby Noa was beginning to have a cough from the vog. We eventually had to temporarily leave the island, thanks to a generous friend who used his miles to buy us a plane ticket and gave us a place to stay for a month, for which we are so grateful! Unfortunately,, that time is closing in on us and we must figure out what our next move is. The lava shows no sign of slowing down, and more and more mandatory evacuations are clearing out the small group of remaining folks in the area. We are heartbroken and lost, having left our home and community, including Noa’s father and my only other physical help with Noa. His father is unable to help financially, as he was also displaced from his home in Leilani and job by the lava, and is struggling.
We are trying to get back on our feet and find a new and safe home to live. My income, like many others, was primarily local with some coming from visitors and tourists at the retreat center I worked, all of which is stopped for now. One of the places I teach yoga, Kalani, is closed indefinitely due to the lava. I’m working towards an online presence for my business to mitigate these circumstances, account for the fact that we may not have a settled home for at least awhile and to reckon with my reality of no childcare until we can safely move back home to Hawaii. Unfortunately, upon arrival to California, I discovered my computer is suddenly not turning on. I am still working out my options for that dilemma, as my laptop is my only current means of making money.
While rent is relatively low in Puna, it is at least three to four times that in even the nearby city of Hilo, not to mention in the rest of Hawaii or on the mainland. There is also an immense number of people trying to move into what places are available, as thousands of people have been displaced. We are looking at either having to completely relocate, where we may not have any transportation, community or resources, or potentially going months before we have our own home.
Our future may be uncertain, but the fact that friends and loved ones got us this far is very clear. Please consider helping us by offering a donation, and sharing our campaign with friends, to help us stay afloat while we get through these challenging times and start anew. All money will go towards housing, transportation, food and bills while we get ourselves back on our feet. Mahalo and Aloha nui loa!
We are trying to get back on our feet and find a new and safe home to live. My income, like many others, was primarily local with some coming from visitors and tourists at the retreat center I worked, all of which is stopped for now. One of the places I teach yoga, Kalani, is closed indefinitely due to the lava. I’m working towards an online presence for my business to mitigate these circumstances, account for the fact that we may not have a settled home for at least awhile and to reckon with my reality of no childcare until we can safely move back home to Hawaii. Unfortunately, upon arrival to California, I discovered my computer is suddenly not turning on. I am still working out my options for that dilemma, as my laptop is my only current means of making money.
While rent is relatively low in Puna, it is at least three to four times that in even the nearby city of Hilo, not to mention in the rest of Hawaii or on the mainland. There is also an immense number of people trying to move into what places are available, as thousands of people have been displaced. We are looking at either having to completely relocate, where we may not have any transportation, community or resources, or potentially going months before we have our own home.
Our future may be uncertain, but the fact that friends and loved ones got us this far is very clear. Please consider helping us by offering a donation, and sharing our campaign with friends, to help us stay afloat while we get through these challenging times and start anew. All money will go towards housing, transportation, food and bills while we get ourselves back on our feet. Mahalo and Aloha nui loa!
Organiser
Alexis Cox
Organiser
Pahoa, HI