Last week, my grandson Chance—and his mom Carrie, lost their home and belongings in the devastating fire. Carrie escaped with only the clothes on her back, and they are thankfully uninjured and staying with my son Paul on another part of the island.

By now, most of you have seen the drone footage and photographs of the aftermath of the tragic Lahaina, Maui fire. It holds a special place in my heart because my son Paul has lived there for over 30 years, and we’ve visited as often as we can, getting to know many of his friends on the island.

On the night of the fires, Paul also took in about 15 families who had nowhere else to go. Throughout the area, there are now thousands of people with no shelter, sleeping wherever they can… not sure what’s next. Paul opened his doors to as many people as he could, sharing his food and spare rooms. He is still housing 14 close friends that also lived in Lahaina and have lost their homes and livelihood.

Friday, August 8th was our first chance to talk with Paul because power has been out in much of the area and cell communication has been quite sporadic. Gas stations aren’t pumping gas because of the power and extra gas is scarce for many people to leave, even if they still have access to their cars.

The stories he shared are heartbreaking––and only now do we realize how close our other family and friends came to losing their life. There is still little relief for the people in the area. Some food, water and clothes are being distributed, but right now it is still limited, only first responders and some locals are even allowed into the area.

The challenging part has been the limited communication and inability to know how to help. Thank you to all the friends and family who have reached out asking about Paul and Chance… and wanting to know how to help.

Our goal in raising these funds is to immediately help Chance and his mom replace their belongings and at least be able to secure a place to live. It also is to be able to help pay for food and clothes for the 14 displaced family and friends who are staying at Paul’s home while they stabilize their life and determine what they do from here.

We would be grateful if you could please help with any contribution, so we can make a difference for those close to us.

Steve & Myrna Schommer