It’s been one year since the Maui wildfires destroyed the beloved town of Lahaina and changed countless lives forever. In the immediate aftermath of the firestorm, hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world turned to GoFundMe to help.
In the face of smoke and grief, grassroot efforts were born on the platform to quickly get money directly into the hands of those who needed it. The power of the GoFundMe community showed up in full force, with donations supporting everything from immediate needs like food, water and shelter to more long-term support, like helping cover lost wages, rebuilding homes, and even saving businesses from bankruptcy.
Everyday Heroes Helping Others
When Maui-resident Kenna saw hundreds of her friends in need sharing their GoFundMes, she knew she had to take action. She started a spreadsheet listing every fundraiser link she came across for Maui families who had been displaced. The GoFundMe team partnered with Kenna to quickly verify fundraisers, helping to ensure money got to the right place safely and quickly. To further help, Kenna launched the Help Maui Rise Fund. Together with GoFundMe.org, Kenna helped raise over $800,000 to provide aid to Lahaina and Kula as quickly and directly as possible. The fund distributed direct relief grants to over 1,200 people affected via cash donations to their GoFundMe fundraisers.
Kenna was one of hundreds of thousands who stepped up to help. Through donations, businesses like Maui Sunriders Bike Company were saved. Their brand-new downtown Lahaina location burned to the ground last August and their other two locations had to refund $80,000 worth of trips as concerned visitors canceled their vacations. The owners say donations to their GoFundMe page prevented a permanent loss of their business. “To be perfectly honest if it wasn’t for our GoFundMe we would have been bankrupt and not been able to pay our employee wages,” Crystal Robertson of Maui Sunriders said. The company is now working towards opening a new location on the westside of Maui in Kapalua.
The food trucks that Baya Bowls used to operate their business were sadly lost in the fires. Three of their employees also lost everything. But $30,000 raised through a GoFundMe page helped owner Ceone Nojima purchase a new food truck, begin remodeling, and keep their staff paid. They are now looking to reopen thanks to the community’s generosity. “We were able to support our employees with disaster relief funds and continued wages for three months post-fire, thanks in large part to your donations,” Ceone wrote in a GoFundMe update. “We are excited to get the gang back together soon.”
More than $140,000 raised through a GoFundMe page helped beloved staff members of Maui Surfer Girls, Inc. after they lost their homes in the fires. In addition to supporting staff, Maui Surfer Girls, Inc. is using funds raised to provide full scholarships to Lahaina women and teens to attend their overnight surf camps. “Our healing surf retreat offers a safe space where survivors can process trauma, rediscover inner strength, and find solace in nature’s beauty along Maui’s breathtaking shores,” owner Dustin Tester said.
The Power of Community
Since August 8 2023, over $65 million has been raised on GoFundMe to directly help communities affected. More than 375,000 people across all 50 U.S. states and more than 100 countries donated. GoFundMe.org’s Wildfire Relief Fund raised over $1.3 million. These donations enabled more than 2,100 immediate relief grants to be issued directly to those impacted by the Maui wildfires, as well as local nonprofit organizations supporting efforts on the ground.
Hundreds of these stories can be found on the Maui Wildfire Relief Hub. One year later, many businesses and families still need help.
As we mark the one-year anniversary of the Maui wildfires, we ask that you would consider donating to a verified GoFundMe or to the Help Maui Rise fund to continue to help the many people who are still working to rebuild, recover, and make Maui stronger.
