MAUI FIRE-Stephanie & Phil

Aloha, my name is Jill Mirch, and I currently reside in San Francisco, California. I have created this page to help with funding for my sister and her family who live in Maui and were impacted by the devastating fires.

They are physically ok, but there are no words to describe the destruction and impact these fires will have on their future.

My sister, Stephanie and her husband, Phil have called Maui home for 20+ years. They have built a beautiful life as proud owners of two small businesses, Swell Life Shop, a boutique located in one of the resorts on the West Side and Enjoy the Ride, a cycle studio in Lahaina. They are also active members of their church, Harvest Kumulani.

The fire destroyed their cycle studio with only small remains of what used to be bicycles. The Swell Life Shop was not in the fire path but is currently closed indefinitely. The livelihood of the shop, like so many other small businesses on the island, is based on tourism, and it's safe to assume that Maui, and especially the West Side, will need years before it becomes a tourist destination again.

As of 8/11/23, they had no choice but to relocate to the other side of the island. They are currently staying with some friends from church as they figure out what to do next. Maui's infrastructure was not built to sustain a disaster like this and they quickly realized that their home was not in a liveable condition. Both their home and Shop currently have no power, gas, or water and they don't see any of those resources returning in the foreseeable future.

I am humbly asking for monetary support to help my sister, Phil, and my niece and nephew as they begin rebuilding their lives. With little to no source of income, they will need this help over the next few months as they figure out how to rebuild. They will likely have added expenses, as their home is not liveable, and are in the process of trying to find short-term housing. We will have the funds sent to an account for them to access and use in this time of crisis.

Thank you in advance for taking a moment to allow me to share my sister's story. If a monetary donation is not doable for you at this time, I ask that you keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

I have attached before and after photos to help tell their story.

Mahalo

Jill Christine Mirich

UDDATE 8/18:

I want to ensure I am keeping everyone updated on the progress and obstacles they are experiencing. 

Thank you again for everyone support, prayers, and words of encouragement!!

 kids are in school- thriving with outside upcountry play, amazing community and friends being so hospitable and gracious. Struggling to find a place to live so we can keep them enrolled. Found a possible replacement location for swell life- praying it all works out soon. The biggest stress right now is we are bleeding out financial responsibilities everyday that passes. If we don’t get our feet on the ground soon, we won’t have deposits to start new shop and home lease.

8/25

We were able to rent out our house starting Sep 1. We are renting it to the church Relief staff from CA. Some repairs had to be done to get the house ready for renters but happy we were able to get people we know and trust into our home. We have yet to find a place to live. The market rate is most likely going to be 4-5k a month for a small house, we have had a lot of listings to look at but zero leads or return calls. Lucky to have support from friends and family.

I am in the second round of a hiring process for a job that offers benefits for the whole family and a salary with a nonprofit. At this point in time, with the tourism economy in Maui being shattered, nonprofits and civil service are the only places that can pay you. We are hoping and praying that the job comes through.

For now, we are surviving day to day on limited funds and praying for miracles!