Maui Hands Employee Relief Fund

’Ohana means family, and Maui Hands beloved Lahaina gallery employee Taylor is just that. Sadly, she and her husband are just one of the many families who lost everything to the fires on August 8, 2023.

 

If you walked into the Maui Hands gallery on Front Street in Lahaina in the last seven years, you were likely greeted by Taylor's smiling face. She has lived on Maui for more than 30 years, with a majority of those being in Lahaina. Taylor loves Lahaina, her husband Al, and her cat Tig.

 

On the night of August 8, Taylor and Al headed to bed early as the power had been out all day due to high winds. Around 7:30 p.m., Taylor awoke to the smell of smoke, so she and her husband grabbed keys, important papers, and her cat Tig and ran out the door. They made it out just in time: Flames were already towering over homes and burning ash was falling from the sky. Inching along the road with little visibility, they made it to Olowalu where they thought they would be safe. At 5 a.m. the next day, however, they were forced to flee again and slept, like many others, in the parking lot at Target that night. Now staying with friends, Taylor, Al, and Tig are adjusting to their new normal.

 

Our ’ohana lost everything but the clothes on their backs and their van. With the money raised on GoFundMe, Taylor and Al will be able to secure a new rental and start life again on Maui, with Al continuing to work at the Ritz-Carlton and Taylor working at Maui Hands in Makawao and Pa’ia.

 

Please help us support our dear friends. Mahalo for your kokua.