Help Weng, Joe, Aida, and Christa Rebuild After Hurricane Lala

Our dear friends Weng and Joe, along with Weng’s mother, Aida, and Joe’s cousin, Christa, have lost nearly everything in the wake of Hurricane Lala, which devastated their home in Hawaiʻi. We are reaching out to our friends, family, and community to come together and kōkua—to assist them in beginning the long and arduous journey of rebuilding their lives.

The Devastating Experience

When the hurricane struck, Weng, Joe, Aida, and Christa were inside their home with their pets. As the storm grew more ferocious, the unimaginable occurred—the powerful winds began to tear the entire roof off their house while they were still inside.

Realizing their lives were in jeopardy, they had no time to gather belongings. They fled the house in their pajamas, grabbed their pets, and escaped just as the roof was being ripped away above them. With their home exposed to the storm, water poured in, flooding both the upstairs and downstairs. They made it outside with little more than the clothes on their backs, standing together in the pouring rain as they watched their home being destroyed.

The hurricane completely removed the roof, sending it into a neighbor’s yard and causing further damage to the adjacent property.

It was an utterly terrifying experience, and we are extremely grateful that Weng, Joe, Aida, Christa, and their pets all managed to escape unharmed.

Ongoing Challenges

Sadly, the devastation did not stop with their home. Weng and Joe also own a working coffee farm in Kaʻū, which is currently entirely inaccessible due to the storm. They have yet to reach the farm to evaluate the damage, leaving them uncertain about what they will discover when they can finally return.

They have begun the heartbreaking task of sifting through the remnants of their home, trying to determine what, if anything, can be salvaged. Regrettably, there is very little that can be saved; the house and most of their possessions are a total loss.

In mere moments, Weng, Joe, Aida, and Christa transitioned from having a home, their belongings, and their livelihood to facing an overwhelming amount of uncertainty, especially regarding their coffee farm.

How You Can Help

We are raising funds to assist them with immediate needs and the significant recovery efforts that lie ahead, including:

Funds may also support recovery efforts at the coffee farm once they can access it and assess the extent of the damage.

Please kōkua if you can. Any donation, regardless of the amount, will help this family begin to piece their lives back together. If you are unable to donate, sharing this fundraiser is another wonderful way to help spread their story to those who may be able to assist.

They have endured something unimaginable. In the midst of a terrifying hurricane, as their roof was being torn away, they escaped with their lives and managed to ensure the safety of their beloved dogs. For that, we are profoundly grateful.

Now they need their community to rally around them as they confront the long road ahead.

From the depths of our hearts, mahalo for your kindness, generosity, prayers, shares, and support for Weng, Joe, Aida, and Christa.

Please kōkua and help them rebuild their home and lives. ❤️

About the Organizer & How Your Donations Will Help

Aloha my name is Katie Moore, and I’m a longtime friend of Weng and Joe. I have lived on the Big Island of Hawaiʻi for around 20 years and have been fortunate to know Weng and Joe through our local community. Over the years, our friendship has grown, and they are very dear to me. Seeing them, along with Weng’s mom, Aida, and Joe’s cousin, Christa, go through such a devastating and frightening experience is heartbreaking.

I am organizing this GoFundMe on their behalf so that our friends, family, and community—both here in Hawaiʻi and beyond—can come together to kōkua during this incredibly difficult time.

All funds raised through this GoFundMe will go directly to Weng and Joe to support their family’s immediate needs and help them begin rebuilding their lives. Donations will help with temporary housing, food, clothing and other basic necessities, replacing essential household belongings, cleanup and recovery expenses, repairs and rebuilding of their home, and other unexpected costs resulting from the hurricane. Funds may also be used toward recovery efforts at their working coffee farm in Kaʻū once they are able to safely access the property and determine the extent of the damage.

Right now, there are still many unknowns. They are trying to process what happened while sorting through what remains of their home and figuring out what comes next. My hope in creating this fundraiser is to take at least some of the financial burden and uncertainty off their shoulders so they can focus on finding stability, recovering from this traumatic experience, and rebuilding.

Every dollar raised will be for Weng, Joe, Aida, and Christa and their recovery. I will make sure the funds raised are provided directly to Weng and Joe so they can use them where they are needed most as their recovery progresses.

Mahalo nui loa for supporting my friends during one of the most difficult times of their lives. Whether you are able to donate, share this fundraiser, or simply keep them in your thoughts, it means more than you know.

Please kōkua if you can. ❤️