Maui County Kōkua Hawaiʻi Island drive a success with strong community support
Hundreds of Maui County residents came together recently for the Kōkua Hawaiʻi Island Donation Drive, showing an outpouring of strong community support and donating essential supplies for Big Island communities impacted by Hurricane Lala.
The donation drive also received support from International Longshore and Warehouse Union, which paid to ship the donations.
“We are incredibly grateful to the people of Maui who showed up in such a big way to support our neighbors on Hawaiʻi Island,” said Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen. “The generosity we saw … is a powerful reminder of how our community comes together when our neighbors need help. Mahalo to everyone who donated their time, resources and aloha to make this effort possible.”
The drive collected donations from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 5-6 at Queen Kaʻahumanu Center in Kahului, with a goal of filling a 40-foot shipping container with food and essential supplies.
During the 2 days:
- More than 200 vehicles came through the drive, with hundreds of community members contributing donations.
- More than 75 volunteers, including International Longshore and Warehouse Union members, Maui County employees and the community gave their time to support the effort.
- More than 5,500 individual items were collected.
- More than 5,000 pounds of nonperishable food were collected.
- 273 cases of water were donated.
- 950 pounds of pet food was collected.
Donations other than those mentioned above, among others, also included:
- Pet supplies (other than food).
- Baby food and supplies.
- Batteries.
- Flashlights.
- Gas cans.
- Towels.
- Feminine hygiene and personal hygiene supplies.
- Cleaning supplies.
The county is now planning to organize a support event for the Kauaʻi County community following impacts and devastation from Hurricane Lowell.
“Disasters can come at any time, and our island’s aloha for Kauaʻi isn’t made less by our recent giving to Hawaiʻi Island,” Bissen said. “We are grateful to our Maui residents and businesses who can pitch in now to kōkua Kauaʻi.”
Email to public.affairs@mauicounty.gov or call 808-270-7855 for additional information.
