I'd like to share the story of David Nelson. He and others helped my friends and family vacate Lahaina during our Maui vacation, and he shared with us everything he had. We are now home safe and sound back to life as usual, while the grim and dire reality in Maui still goes on. Please read, share his story, and donate what you can to make the community of Lahaina whole again.

I'm a licensed physician of Chinese Medicine. I've been in the midst of Maui's devastation. I've been in the community for over 20 years.

Like most people here, I'm eating at a local church or a temporary kiosk in the middle of a shopping parking lot (Napili Plaza). Food is scarce, and I'm sharing meals with friends, clients, and strangers, who have lost everything. Literally everything. Others are in shock, just going thru the motions with tears being shed as they tell me their story. We're all unable to work as most things require internet access, and that doesn't exist here anymore. If you don't have cash, resources are extremely limited. A local resident forgot about that at the gas station store today. Fortunately, I had an extra $20 in cash to gift her. I may or may not see her again, and it doesn't matter, because when giving a true gift, it's about giving and then forgetting that you gave.

I want to help gift the people of the community (and myself), so that I know my friends and family (ohana) will receive the help they so desperately need. To not rely on a government agency. It'd be so much easier and real, to gift people money and the opportunity to start fresh! So far, no one I've shared with trusts we're going to be reimbursed for missed wages. Even tho, we're unable to work. Or leave this side of the island. If one leaves the Lahaina side, they leave with fear of not being able to get home. And we're told to expect weeks to a couple months of this.