Global Empowerment Mission President and founder Michael Capponi says the biggest need for displaced Hawaiians is getting them out of shelters and into ‘stabilized’ housing.
Several major companies have been ramping up efforts to support those who have lost everything in the harrowing wildfires that overtook West Maui.
The wildfires that decimated parts of the island are already considered the deadliest in the U.S. in more than a century with over 100 fatalities as of Friday. Crews are working around the clock to contain some of the fires.
Others are combing through neighborhoods to find those unaccounted for. The death toll is expected to rise. In the meantime, communities on the island are working together to gather supplies and lend support.
MAUI ENTREPRENEUR WHO LOST EVERYTHING IN WILDFIRES: ‘WE GOT BLINDSIDED’
Major companies like Uber, Airbnb.org and Hormel Foods, are doing their part to help.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UBER | UBER TECHNOLOGIES INC. | 44.69 | +0.72 | +1.64% |
Uber
Uber announced it is providing free rides to the shelter at the Hawaii Convention Center for evacuees and volunteers.
Burned cars in a destroyed neighborhood in the aftermath of a wildfire in Lahaina, western Maui, Hawaii, Aug. 11, 2023. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
“Our priority is to ensure that transportation is not a barrier,” the company said.
The company is also donating $500,000 to the HawaiI Community Foundation’s Maui Strong Fund.
It’s also launching a button in the app that will allow Uber and Uber Eats customers in the U.S. to make donations to the nonprofit. Uber will match the first $500,000 raised, bumping its commitment to $1 million.
MAUI HOTELS TO HOUSE DISPLACED FAMILIES, FIRST RESPONDERS AMID WILDFIRES
The ride-share giant is also providing financial support to drivers in Lahaina. The company said it is also exploring other “opportunities to help Uber drivers and couriers as Maui moves towards a recovery.”
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HRL | HORMEL FOODS CORP. | 39.28 | -0.11 | -0.28% |
Hormel Foods
The Hormel Foods Corporation, the makers of Spam, is in the process of donating five truckloads of Spam products to help support recovery efforts in Maui.
Three trucks are already on their way with two more to follow. In total, the trucks are carrying over 260,000 cans.
A Mercy Worldwide volunteer assesses a damaged apartment complex in the aftermath of a wildfire in Lahaina, western Maui, Hawaii, Aug. 12, 2023. (Yuki Iwamura/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
The company said it is working with the nonprofit Convoy of Hope, which will ensure the product gets in the hands of those who need it most.
It’s Spam brand has donated more than a $1 million in product and cash to directly help those impacted by the wildfires. Part of its efforts included designing and selling a “Spam Brand Loves Maui” T-shirt with 100% of the proceeds going to Aloha United Way’s Maui Fire Relief Fund for relief efforts in the area.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABNB | AIRBNB INC. | 125.06 | -2.93 | -2.29% |
Airbnb.org
Airbnb.org pledged to provide free temporary stays for at least 1,000 people displaced by the deadly wildfires in Maui.
The independent nonprofit, which facilitates temporary stays for people in times of crisis, said it’s working with Hawaii Gov. Josh Green and several nonprofit organizations to connect people with temporary housing.
Destroyed buildings and homes are pictured in the aftermath of a wildfire in Lahaina, western Maui, Hawaii, Aug. 11, 2023. (Paula Ramon/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Airbnb staff volunteers, government entities and nonprofit groups such as the Maui Economic Opportunity and Global Empowerment Mission will review the eligibility of potential guests and help facilitate their stays, according to Airbnb.org.
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To help, anyone with a home or room in Hawaii can sign up with Airbnb.org to help people who have been displaced.
Anyone can donate to Airbnb.org to help fund emergency stays. All the donations will go toward covering the cost of housing for the survivors of the wildfires, the organization said.
