Family Affected by Lahaina Fire: Aceret, Watson

Hi everyone,

My name is Nicole Aceret. As you may have already heard, on August 8, 2023, a wildfire that ravaged our beautiful Lahaina town left hundreds of families displaced and without homes. Unfortunately, my family is one of them.

My grandma and grandpa immigrated to Hawaii from the Philippines over 40 years ago in hopes of a better life. From stories that my grandma has told me, she worked some 60 hours per week for her home on Malanai Street and with the help of my grandpa, they were able to build an extension for the home so that they could house more of their family, both immediate and extended. And up until the wildfire that occurred on August 8, 2023, that is exactly what they did. This was the home my dad and his sister grew up in. This was the home my sister and I grew up in. This was the home my cousins grew up in.

As the wildfire spread throughout Lahaina, my grandparents, parents, and my mom's sister's family evacuated our home with nothing but the clothes on their backs, important documents, and a few baby pictures. When the dust settled, my parents walked to the home in hopes that it was still there, and like the countless other homes in Lahaina, it was nothing but cinderblocks and ash.

With my family's permission, I created this GoFundMe to better assist them. I know there are so many families affected by the fire but every little bit will be of huge help, whether it goes to clean water and nonperishable goods or to helping rebuild when the time comes.

Never in my lifetime did I ever think I'd find myself having to do this. We are so appreciative of everyone's efforts in helping the Lahaina community and for merely checking in to see that we're all okay. This is a loss like no other but we are resilient and I am hopeful that we'll see the light at the end of this very dark tunnel.

Thank you.