Vibrant Hawaiʻi is handling Hurricane Lala recovery operations day by day, hour by hour
On Monday, volunteers handed out bottled water, groceries, chili made by a community member and 200 burritos donated by Luquins Mexican Restaurant in Pāhoa.
7 hours ago
Volunteers with Vibrant Hawaiʻi’s Hawaiian Acres Resilience Hub spent a few hours preparing the site on Monday before giving out bottled water, groceries, chili made by a community member and 200 burritos donated by Luquins Mexican Restaurant in Pāhoa.
More than 90 cars filled with people affected by Hurricane Lala drove up to the hub.
Resilience hubs, specifically in lower Puna, upper Puna and Kaʻū, will be activated over the next few days with plans to distribute water, ice, groceries and hot meals each day while supplies last.
“We will be here at 3 p.m. (Tuesday) doing the same thing, hopefully with some ice,” said Shannon Matson, head volunteer with the Hawaiian Acres Resilience Hub. “We’ve been asking everyone what their biggest needs are right now, and it is mostly ice and gasoline. So if anyone is able to donate those items, that would be extremely helpful for so many right now.”
World Central Kitchen has been making hot meals at the resilience hubs in Kaʻū and will also be on site at the Hawaiian Acres Resilience Hub during the distribution today. Community members are asked to share this information with ʻohana, friends, neighbors and anyone in need.
Distributions will begin at 3 p.m. each day at the following locations:
Kaʻū
- Pāhala: Pāhala Community Center at 96 Kamani St. #1149
- Nāʻālehu: Nāʻālehu Hongwanji at 95-5695 Hawaiʻi Belt Rd.
- Ocean View: Hope-Diamond Ministries at 92-8988 Ginger Blossom Ln.
Upper Puna
- Kurtistown: Hawaiian Acres at 16-1325 Moho Rd.
- Mountain View: Fern Acres at 11-3606 Lehua St.
- Mountain View: Fern Forest at 11-2864 Ala Kapena Dr.
- Volcano: Cooper Center at 19-4030 Wright Rd.
Lower Puna
- Keaʻau: Hawaiian Paradise Park Community Association at 15-1570 Makuʻu Dr.
- Pāhoa: Billy Kenoi Park at 15-2910 Kauhale St.
Volunteers with Vibrant Hawaiʻi have spent the past 48 hours assessing damages and the needs of their communities, as several residents are still without power, cell and internet service
“We have boots on the ground right now, and recovery operations are decided day by day and hour by hour,” said County Council Member Ashley Kierkiewicz, who also co-led the creation of Vibrant Hawaiʻi. “So many are still without power right now and are worried about perishables and not being able to get in touch with loved ones.”
Kierkiewicz said the organization has several volunteers who are trained in emergency response and are ready to provide what is needed.”
Earlier today, Kierkiewicz and U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda visited farms and agricultural producers impacted by Hurricane Lala and discussed what it would take to rebuild operations.
“So many of our horticulturalists, coffee farmers and producers suffered a major blow and will need financial support to rebuild operations,” Kierkiewicz said. “It is devastating on the ground, and Hurricane Lala has put a lot of folks 10 steps back.”
She urges people to report damages and needs at this moment.
It is important because “damage assessors are being deployed islandwide to ensure we have proper resources coming from the state and federal government,” Kierkiewicz said.
Residents can submit a recovery form to report storm-related needs and share what type of assistance they are seeking as soon as they are able, following storm impacts on the Vibrant Hawaiʻi website, or bit.ly/vh-rfa.
Requests submitted through the form will help Vibrant Hawaiʻi and its nonprofit, business, government, and community partners understand what families need and coordinate available resources and support across Hawaiʻi Island.
A guide to reporting damage claims is also available online from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.
While volunteers are needed in the immediate aftermath, Vibrant Hawaiʻi wants to ensure that helping hands are maintained because there is going to be a need for long-term support.
“Vibrant Hawaiʻi has been able to maintain our 35 community hubs because we have volunteers who have been dedicated to training their immediate community members in emergency response and have the ability to mobilize,” Kierkiewicz said. “Vibrant Hawaiʻi is grateful to everyone who can put their lives on hold to help during this time and all our partners who are prepared to serve across the island.”
Those interested in volunteering can email contact@vibranthawaii.org, and Vibrant Hawaiʻi will respond as soon as possible.
Vibrant Hawaiʻi is also taking donations to provide immediate relief and long-term recovery support to island residents impacted by flooding, wind damage, and related emergencies.
“I donʻt like that we have to mobilize, but I am grateful that we have the people who can make it happen,” Kierkiewicz said.
For more information on Hurricane Lala recovery resources, visit the Vibrant Hawaiʻi website at https://www.vibranthawaii.org/lala.
How to report damage
If you sustained damage or, if you and your household are in need of help, as a result of Hurricane Lala, Civil Defense has a damage report and a Request for Assistance reporting portal on the County of Hawaii website or call Civil Defense at 808-935-0031
Click here to make a Residential Damage Report
Click here to make a Commercial Damage Report
