Hawai‘i Island Volcano Recovery Fund Established

Two-hundred-foot-high fountains fed massive flows that consumed homes and covered property. May 2, 2018, Paradise Helicopters photo.

The Hawai‘i Community Foundation (HCF), together with Anderson-Beck Fund, Jack’s Fund and the Darrin & Darien Gee Family Fund, have established the Hawai‘i Island Volcano Recovery Fund to assist with recovery efforts in support of Hawai‘i Island communities affected by the KĪlauea volcano eruption.

“The greatest strength of our island communities is our innate desire to care for one another, and it’s even more evident during a time of crisis,” said Micah Kane, CEO and president at HCF. “We are humbled and grateful to partner with such generous donors who have stepped up to first support the people of Kaua‘i, and now our neighbors on Hawai‘i Island. We will continue to work with our team, nonprofits, and community leaders on Hawai‘i Island to assess needs and determine where these funds can best be utilized.”

To ensure that every donation achieves its maximum impact, HCF will waive administrative fees for the Hawai‘i Island Volcano Recovery Fund for the first ninety days, as it did for the Kaua‘i Relief and Recovery Fund. HCF’s team on Hawai‘i Island is working to evaluate where philanthropic dollars can make the greatest impact by meeting with community leaders and nonprofit organizations, including Brandee Menino of Hope Services, Kimo Alameda from the Hawai‘i County Office of Aging, and Sharon Hirota of the Hawai‘i County Office of Housing and Community Development. “We want to support the organizations and agencies on our island that are working together to help families and individuals recover from this devastating experience,” said Diane Chadwick, HCF’s Director of Community Philanthropy on Hawai‘i Island.

The fund will provide grants to local organizations that are bringing relief to communities that have been impacted by the volcano eruption including assistance to residents who have been displaced from their homes.

Donations to the Hawai‘i Island Volcano Recovery Fund can be made online or by mail at Hawai‘i Community Foundation, 827 Fort Street Mall, Honolulu, HI 96813.