Lahaina, Maui Fire Naganuma Family Relief

(Edited to add: Please click "read more" and scroll down for updates.)

Aloha mai kākou, thank you for your help and generosity. On Tuesday, Aug 8 our family home and everything in it burnt to the ground in the Lahaina fire. Any donations are appreciated. Funds will be used to help with purchases for immediate needs of food, clothing, bedding, school supplies, and hygiene needs for our family.

My name is Anjanette Naganuma and I am a public school teacher at Lahainaluna HS. My husband, Brian, works at Costco, and our son, Connor attends Lahaina Intermediate. My husband's elderly parents, Betty and Rodney live with us. We escaped ahead of the fire with our 2 little lovebirds, Nanamua and Nanahope. We are sheltering with my mother who lives in Wailuku. She is on a fixed income and will now have to face increased electric and water bills with the increase in people in her home.

Words cannot describe the heartbreak we have at losing not only our home but also the heartbreak we have for our community and seeing the loss of our neighbors and friends. We feel blessed to have our health and our lives and I know with your help and community help, we will face the daunting task of moving forward together.

Update #11 Friday July 12, 2024

Thank you so much for sticking with us!

Summer is over half way done and soon we’ll be gearing up for the new school year. Brian has been working steadily at Costco. His employers continue to be supportive and understanding of all the things that pop up that take time to take care of that are getting us toward rebuilding. His coworkers continue to be awesome and are keeping us focused on the positive. I completed my 2 Spring courses from UH and now I’m working my way through one class this summer; it should be done this coming Wednesday. In the fall, I’ll be taking 2 more SpEd courses and teaching grades 10 and 12 at Lahainaluna.

Connor is enjoying his first summer with “nothing” to do since the summer of covid. Usually we send him to summer programs, but given how busy the 2023-24 school year was, we thought he deserved at least one summer of vegging out before he starts high school. ‘Iao School was an unexpected change, but he made friends, strengthened his saxophone skills in Band, and kept his grades up. For next year, he applied for and has accepted an invitation to attend Kamehameha Schools Maui. If you’re not familiar with the school, please follow this link for some history. We’re so proud of him.

It took a couple of weeks from the notification back in April of our ROE being approved to getting the call that our lot would be cleared. Brian and I took off a day together to watch the removal begin, and then I took the rest of the week off to watch it get completed. There were definitely a bunch of complicated feelings seeing the burnt and broken bits loaded into trucks and hauled away.

They scraped up everything and broke the slab for removal.

It took a little under a week in late April for all that the rubble was and all it represented to be wrapped up in plastic “burritos” and trucked over to the disposal site.

Soil testing took another couple of weeks, and then a mound of gravel was dropped on the empty dirt.

It took about another month until the gravel was spread and erosion control was completed.

Then there was a lot more waiting. Finally ,after checking obsessively daily, we got our close out package from the County from the online site in late June. Orange shows which lots have been completed and owners can apply for permits to rebuild.

At this point, we’re in the planning and permitting phase, which is equally complicated and paperwork-filled. We are blessed to have support from the original developer of our neighborhood who is helping streamline our planning and permitting process. We’re also reviewing our finances and budgeting. The hard reality of the situation is that rebuilding our home will likely cost more than what our insurance will pay out. That’s the trade off, though, right? We get a brand new home that is up to current codes even if it comes with a brand new mortgage. And that’s okay, because then we’ll be back in Lahaina where we belong. That’s the best news – once we can get all the financing and paperwork issues settled, we might be able to start rebuilding in September or thereabouts.

For all of you still following these updates and checking in with us… you all have been a Godsend. You pulled us through those first days and weeks when we needed toothbrushes and underwear; bread, beds and bedding; clothes and shoulders to cry on. In these in-between months where we’ve been in limbo to the processes and bureaucracy, you’ve kept us on our feet and pushed us forward. It feels so unreal to even be able to think about being able to go home. The one year anniversary of the Fire is next month. Please keep us and all of Lahaina and Maui in your thoughts.

Update #10 Monday Apr 1, 2024

Wow. The year has fast-forwarded. No April Fool's jokes here; just an long-deserved update.

This spring semester, I joined a cohort of educators from around the state aiming to get licensed as a Special Education teacher. It's an 18 credit course through UH Manoa and when I complete the program in Spring 2025, I'll be licensed to teach ELA grades 6-12 and Special Education grades 6-12 for students with mild-moderate disabilities. HIDOE picks the tab and I pay it back by spending at least a year as a Special Education teacher. My hope is to continue at Lahainaluna HS, partnered with my colleagues in ELA. Lahainaluna is considered a "hard-to-staff" school, both in general and for specific targeted areas such as Hawaiian language and Special Education. The cost of housing on the West Side always made it a challenge and to combine that with the loss of housing due to the Fire makes it even harder to attract and retain qualified teachers. Wish me luck keeping up with being a teacher and a student!

At Wist Hall in January, collaborating and being creative

In February, the Lahainaluna Football team captains and coaches were invited to be a part of the coin-toss ceremonies at the Superbowl. I was proud to see my nephew and school represented so well.

Kaulana is the youngest of my SIL's boys. He's a senior and graduating this year. Please consider donating to their Gofundme.

During Spring Break, we traveled to Santa Fe, New Mexico to celebrate my Grandma's 101st birthday! She has her own apartment in an assisted living facility for the elderly and she is still sharp and independent. She definitely gives my mom and Auntie a run for their money. My Mom and brother Wade will be there until mid-April. It snowed briefly while we were up there and it is such a contrast to the warmth of Lahaina, but my mom tells me that it does get green when it warms up. Someday we'll make the trip up there when it's green. A shout-out and thank you to their community for their support after the fires.

L-to-R: Top: Wade, Auntie Carolina, Grandma Gabriela, my Mom (Sylvia)Bottom: Me, Brian, Connor

Tomorrow, April 2 is Connor's birthday. He's been an amazing human being this last year, taking everything in stride and doing everything he can to help. He'll be a freshman in high school next year and he has some big decisions to make about the direction his future takes and what school best supports his goals. Keep him in your thoughts, please.

And saving the best news for last.... after MOUNDS of ridiculous bureaucracy and completely unnecessary red tape, our ROE application has finally been approved. Now we wait for the call letting us know when our lot will be cleared. Our neighbor's lot was cleared in February, so we'll finally be a matched pair in the green zone of Leiali'i. After that, it's getting permits for the rebuild and hopefully picking out new furniture, maybe at some point in 2025, if we're lucky?

Update #9 Wednesday Dec 27, 2023

Happy Holidays everyone! I apologize for the lack of updates – getting back to the Lahaina campus, combined with prepping for the holidays – time just got eaten up. For me, the drive to Lahaina from Wailuku and back again takes up a good chunk of the morning and afternoon. I leave early to beat the traffic and the sky is barely lightening up past Haleakala; by the time I get home in the afternoon, the West Maui mountains are already casting a shadow on the house and I’m just all out of energy. I miss the Lahaina sunsets.

Brian and I have submitted and are waiting for our Right-of-Entry paperwork to get approved for the Phase 2 - Debris Removal.

The sign is posted in our backyard, so we have to access it through Kaniau Road unless we want to cut more holes in the dust fence.

The community has been told that debris clearance will happen in chunks, with areas closest to inhabited areas most likely being prioritized, however, it also depends on enough folks in the burn area getting their ROEs submitted and approved. Doing it in sections is supposed to minimize disturbing the ash. However, getting all the paperwork and having it done correctly can be complicated when there are multiple owners or if you are in a leasehold like we are. A lot of it feels like unnecessary bureaucracy on top of all the other go-here-do-this-fill-out-this-form-wait-here-go-over-there-talk-to-that-person-fill-out- this-other form shenanigans. Lots of folks have submitted their paperwork, and lots of folks are waiting to be approved and/or having to correct and resubmit it.

We went back in early Dec to look for the sign. Our first time back since September. I should have expected it, but the rust surprised me. It makes it more depressing - and lonely, somehow.

In the meantime, so much has happened, and I could write a books-worth about it, but for the lack of time. Halloween came and went happily and uneventfully. Thanksgiving came and went stuffed with goodies. Christmas was celebrated and only drizzled on a little bit. We had time with family and lots of food and we’re grateful for all the help we’ve gotten to make it this far. And the help and offers of help are ongoing, thank you! We feel blessed to have a stable place to stay - so many others are being shuffled around, even during the holidays. Housing, clothing, bedding - we’ve got it. We’re trying to balance the desire and drive to replace items that were destroyed in the fire with the reality that while we’re at my mom’s, we just don’t have the storage, but we know that it will come in time. It’s a weird sort of pause in life. This isn’t our permanent reality, but it’s our reality for now.

Thank you for your help and being with us during this challenging time in our life.

Update #8 Sunday Oct 15, 2023

Aloha mai kākou, how is it already mid-October? It feels like we’ve lived a lifetime in the blink of an eye.

Brian and I are back at work. He has continued with his Tuesday - Sunday shifts. His coworkers and managers have been amazing. The love, help, and support has been ongoing and foundational as part of our recovery. Allen of the Makana Shop continues to be one of our biggest cheerleaders and has been instrumental at driving continued donations into our cache of savings. Our families rally around us and we’ve spent more time with each other in the last 2 months than probably the last couple years combined.

A shout out to a former student, Avau Leilua, for her administration of the “Adopt a Family Maui” Facebook page. She and her twin sister were beautiful inside and out then and have grown into the promise shown so many years ago. Thanks to her page and the connections made there, we have had several immediate and long-term needs met via an Amazon Wishlist. The generosity of people who purchased and sent items blew us away. I had the privilege of meeting one of these angels in Kihei in the week before Fall Break. We had shave ice and talked story together at Ululani’s and she is amazing. I came away with more items from our wishlist, a beautiful bunch of anthuriums, a beautiful handmade necklace, and most importantly, a new friendship.

On Friday, October 6, the remaining Lahaina public schools reopened to the staff. I made the drive alone over the pali and up the road. Walking into my classroom felt like a homecoming– familiar and reassuring.

The rooms have been professionally cleaned, but all the assorted junk and supplies in my closets still hold their own memories.The AC wall units were cleaned and my jalousies will stay closed, though dust can still make it in since there is no weather stripping on the windows. Each classroom was given an Austin Air filter - which are quite pricey. I’m pleased but rather surprised that HIDOE shelled out money for them. I’m probably going to still mask up, not just because I think I’m coming down with yet another cold, but from my classroom and on the drive up and down the hill, we have a view of Lahaina town. We’re supposed to get all that ash sprayed down with Soiltac, but once debris clearance starts and the Kona winds blow, Iʻm not sure I have confidence in the air quality safety, no matter what the monitors say.

Maui has begun its phased re-opening of tourism on the West side and there are so many mixed feelings. The largest part of it is grief: Our house burnt down. Our neighbor’s house burnt down. And our sister’s, and Grandma’s, and cousin’s, and our in-laws’, and coworker’s, and our friends and their families’--their house, where we had sleepovers as a kid, and their house and our houses where we went to kanikapila or gamble or grill and sing Happy Birthday as we all grew up. And where we work, and the movie theater, and the bank, and the medical clinic, and the grocery store, and the shoe store, and the pizza place, and the library, and the restaurant and retail store where we worked in high school, and the art galleries and shops we walked around in with our hands behind our back to show we weren’t going to touch anything, and the elementary school we went to and our keiki go now, and the historical sites we took walking field trips to, and the businesses that our families ran, the harbor we surfed at, the church we worshiped in, all the places our families created the memories that made it into photos that built our photo albums that burnt in the fire. It’s all still raw. We’ve lost safety and sleep. We’ve lost family.

photo: Lahaina Surf parking lot (E and F buildings), with

a view of the field where the Outlet shops would be built.

Not all of us have had the chance to “go home” yet, not all the zones have opened. Some of us have faced the rubble of our homes, but the grief isn’t just for one home, one place, one spot. And we’re told it’s not safe, and we know it’s not safe, and we can’t go to see these places where our memories were made and mourn what’s left of them.

So we mourn with our families and with our friends, people who understand the loss and sit in silence with us and don’t ask us to talk about it. Or they listen from beginning to end when we need to tell the story of it one more time. We check on our neighbors, we haul supplies, make deliveries, cook meals, have dinner, take people to their appointments, make donations, and we give and accept help freely with love from our family and friends.

And that’s the other part of it… there are visitors that come with joy and love. They fit and fold themselves into the island and with the residents whether they’re visiting for the first time or 100th time. They love the place because they love the people. They're here to be with us, not to be served by us. We’ve seen visitors come to help, to become friends and extended family; they become another layer of support while we heal. Our friends and family work with us and beside us and for us when we can’t. Our friends and family celebrate with us and rest with us when we need it. We want our friends and family to have time to themselves and opportunity to recharge because they’ll do for us as we do for them.

Right now, Lahaina only has space for family and friends.

Update #7 Sunday Oct 1, 2023

Thank you to everyone still reading these updates and still sharing our fundraiser when you can. This update will be a longer one, so I hope you bear with me: Brian and I went onto our property on Monday, Sep 25 and Tuesday, Sep 26.

The County has been slowly opening up the fire impacted areas to homeowners and renters according to zones, and Zone 1C (Kaniau Street) was the first one to open. Our home went from being in a red zone to a green zone overnight. Green because our neighborhood of Leiali’i Villages is intact except for 2 homes: our home and that of our mauka neighbor. Kaniau is yellow now because homeowners can access their property with passes from 8am-4pm daily. Zones 2C, 2D, and 2E will be reopening tomorrow, Oct 2, at 7am.

Re-entry for the first two days when a zone opens is supported with washing stations, water, PPE, and physical and emotional/mental health stations. While Kaniau Road is still being guarded and barricaded, our home on Aipuni St is easily accessible through Leiali’i (except for the dust fence) so that’s the way we drove in. When Zone 1C re-opened, the support stations were set up on Kaniau, and we found out they could only be accessed by car by driving onto the road from Honoapiilani highway.

On Monday, we were denied entry by car onto Kaniau when we drove in through Leiali’i and attempted to drive in through A’a Street to check where help stations were. We had thoughts of meeting up with Brian’s sister and see/help her house on the corner of Kaniau and A’a, where Brian also grew up. No entry at A’a. We were also denied entry trying to drive in at the Ainakea entrance. There, we were told that our passes could only be checked at the highway entrance of Kaniau. If heading south on Honoapiilani after exiting Leiali’i, there is no left turn from the highway onto Kaniau; you have to keep going until you find a safe spot to turn around. So on Monday, we did not make use of any support provided by the County.

To be completely blunt, I think the 2 homes/households on Aipuni were overlooked or forgotten when the zones/support were planned and rolled out. If you look at the County maintained Re-entry map, 84 Aipuni and 92 Aipuni are included in Zone 1A, but there was no “re-opening” with support for the destroyed homes in 1A. Is it because we are the only two? Is it because someone assumed we were going already? Is it because our homes are on DHHL property? I don’t know. I suppose we could have tried walking in with our passes to confirm our support, but not a single official came to check on us or offer help that Monday.

We were, however, blessed on Monday to have the support of Samaritan’s Purse.

Brian was allowed to take time off and I called in sick for the opportunity to have help when seeing property up close and to just kind of take it in. People ask, “How was it?” and there just doesn’t feel like a polite way to answer that. It was bad, awful, horrible. It’s home and it’s gone. The photo albums are gone; the yearbooks, the pictures on the wall, all the collectibles and memorabilia, the beds you slept in, the cups you drank out of, the knick-knacks, the junk drawer, your shoes, clothes, jewelry, toys, TV, toilets… everything is gray rubble, ash, burnt, melted. I can't say that I'm glad that we went, but it was necessary and needed to be done.

And I’m grateful we had the crew from Samaritan’s Purse with us. We signed up for their help last minute when we went to apply for our entry passes. We had planned to go on our own, but I’m so glad we didn’t. On our first day, they came with a crew of about a dozen people, their own PPE, PPE to share, tools, sifters, water, gatorade, chairs. They cut a swath in the dust fence for us and tacked it back up at the end of the day. They built a path to where we pointed them in the rubble of where we were hoping to find lost things. They worked alongside us and dug, raked, sifted, shoveled for as long as we were willing, but it got very hot, very quickly in all our PPE gear. The Department of Health-provided PPE included a Tyvek coverall with hood, n95 mask, shoe covers, nitrile gloves, leather work gloves, and an extra pair of slippers for after. Brian and I additionally wore bandanas, steel toe rubber work boots, and n95 respirators instead of the regular n95 masks.

The first day, Brian and I only stayed 2 hours. On Tuesday, we drove up Kaniau and got more PPE and learned where the wash stations and bathrooms were. We were able to let officials know we were on our property on Aipuni. The Samaritans were helping our neighbors and then they all jumped in to help us again for another hour. With all the help, we were able to recover some important items that would have otherwise been lost because the scope of the destruction is truly physically daunting and very emotionally draining.

For all readers: when you or your family & friend’s zone open, if you or they are thinking of going alone, or even in pairs, please consider contacting Samaritan's Purse. Many hands lighten the load. They were kind and generous and caring. They will check with you for what to look for, check with you when anything is found, and they make no judgments about its value to keep or discard. They will pray with you before starting and when you call it close.

We were able to recover some things such as my mother-in-law's original wedding ring set, my mother’s engagement ring, her wedding band, and a jade ring that belonged to my dad. They found Brian’s wedding band… and many many charred beads of what used to be my vintage jade necklaces. We would never have found these things without help.

Monday and Tuesday were hard. Wednesday was back to work with guilty feelings leaving my students with substitutes so early in the year. Thursday had a surprise waiting for me and lightened my emotional load. I’m an English teacher, so it's no surprise that I have lots of books and but I kept my most special ones at home. I have a classroom library of books built from Friends of the Library and many of my favorite stories are on the shelves, but at home I had and lost my comic books that I’d collected since I was 12, my copy of ‘Olelo No Eau, and Ka Lei Ha’aheo, and Dune, and my treasured Hawaiian Seashells spiral-bound and hardcover 2-book set of The Shells of the Hawaiian Islands, both by Mike Severns. The Severns books are out-of-print and resale prices are very, very high. I couldn't afford to replace them.

When Connor was little, we’d look for shells on the shoreline and dive along the nearshore coral. When we found any shells we’d bring them home to compare them to what was in the spiral-bound and we’d keep our favorites and return the rest to the ocean. I love being in the water and I haven’t made time for the beach since August 6. I need to find time to go. It's much harder now that I can't just walk down the road to Wahikuli Beach park.

On Thursday, a very special person sent a copy of the spiral-bound and a bonus book: Molokini: Hawaii’s Island Marine Sanctuary, by Mike Severns and Pauline Fiene. It’s gorgeous. The photos are amazing and make me long for the beach even more. The books were accompanied by a card with a honu on it and the card said, “Because you can’t eat books.” Also inside was a Foodland gift card. Many years ago, when there was still a bookstore in Lahaina, I saw a bag with the phrase: When I get a little money, I buy books; and if any is left, I buy food and clothes. I want to buy books. We need to buy food. How nice it is to not have to choose. I still tear up thinking about what a kindness this is for a book lover. The bag made me laugh then and the card made me laugh, too, and my heart was gladdened because there have been so many tears.

My heart was gladdened on Friday, when a cousin threw a birthday party for his mom and another aunty. My aunty’s house is gone. My cousin had a sailing canoe; that’s gone, too. But many family and community members came; there was good food, music, dancing, and laughter.

Saturday, Brian and I took my brother to Lahainaluna’s delayed first football game. His nephew is on the team. His brother-in-law is one of the coaches. His sister snagged them tickets (teachers hold MIL passes) to the sold-out game. The tickets were only available online and sold out in 17 minutes. The opposing team's fans wore red in solidarity with Lahaina. The Lunas won 42-0.

Next week, we have a meeting with a company that wants to help us rebuild. Thursday the 5th will be Lahainaluna’s last day at Kulanihako’i. Friday the 6th, staff goes back to Lahainaluna and then we go on Fall Break. The school will reopen October 16.

Thank you for helping us survive it all. Thank you for being here with us. We would not have made it this far without your help.

Update #6 Sunday Sep 24, 2023

Hello all, please forgive me the tardiness of this update. The week got away from me.

Lahainaluna staff got to see students for the first time on Thursday, Sept 14. I’m pleased to report many students showed up on that first day and it was amazing to witness their smiles and hugs. Lahaina kids are awesome. They have to get up so early to catch the bus all the way out to Kihei and get home much later, especially the athletes. We only have two more weeks left before the end of the quarter, and *fingers crossed*, hopefully we’re in the clear to return to our own campus. Kulanihako’i has been so accommodating, but the HIDOE clearly expected the principals to wave magic wands to make everything happen. The reality is that there are not enough classrooms, classes have to rotate outside; there were no basic school supplies by opening day… where did they expect it all to come from? I did come down with a pretty bad cold last week and have been masking up to avoid spreading it. Thankfully it is just a cold; I’ve had covid once this year already, the week before the fires and that’s enough.

Saturday the 23rd, Brian and I made the drive to the Lahaina Civic Center to get passes to enter burn zone 1C, Kaniau Road. This is the road behind our property, where Brian’s sister lived in their childhood home. On Monday the 25th and Tuesday, the 26th, all the homeowners along Kaniau are being allowed and supported to enter their properties and dig through the debris, if we want. The dust fence is around our property on three sides, so we accessed it last time through Kaniau. Going that way means we’d have to climb down our retaining wall to get on our property. The other option is to cut through the dust fence.

The authorities recommend no children, no one with breathing problems, and no kupuna (elderly) do any digging. We’ve been warned that the ash is toxic, because it includes insulation, housing materials, plastics and chemicals. We’ve been warned that it is dangerous, since metal like nails used in construction will be in the debris. We’ve been given one set of PPE each with the emphasis that it is single-use disposable only. Afterward, we need to remove it, wash ourselves, and change into clean clothes. We must bag our shoes and worn clothes before entering our vehicles and at home, we’re to soak them outside before washing them immediately. If we need more PPE on Monday and Tuesday, they say we can get more from them.

It’s so weird to think there is so much in our house that is now harmful to us. I’ve seen the photos of the destruction from the days right after and I’ve seen the property with my own eyes, but my brain and my heart resist believing that everything is gone. In my head, I know that there’s no house to walk into… I've seen it. There isn't any way photo albums and photographs are still under all that. The little pink teddy bear Brian gave me when we first started dating has to be gone. Connor’s Infinity Gauntlet from when we went to Disneyland before and his starter guitar and amp from Christmas are gone. The stuffed round penguin doll one of my Boarder girls gave me when I first started at Lahainaluna nearly 20 years ago is gone. His name was Bob, we wrote it on his feet. He was a good listener.

But my mom gave me her and my dad’s wedding rings and they were in my jewelry box. I had Brian’s wedding band in my jewelry box because I made him switch to silicone rings for work. Would it be too much to hope that there is still something there somewhere under all that rubble?

Update #5 Wednesday Sep 13, 2023

Welcome back all, thank you for sticking with us. Yesterday, Brian and I went into Lahaina and saw our property with our own eyes for the first time. Up that point, we’d only seen pictures and the outside of the dust fences. We drove down past our house, took a left on Ainakea, parked, and then the National Guard servicemen posted on the intersection going into the Wahikuli burn zone escorted us up Kaniau so we could gain access through the property behind ours. You can smell the char. We probably should have been wearing masks or even respirators. Definitely shoes, probably steel toe boots but both of us were in slippers. Protective gear is recommended.

Walking the empty neighborhood with part of the street intact is bizarre. Surreal. Unsettlingly quiet. When Brian and I were first married, we lived in the ohana unit of his sister’s house (the house their dad built & they grew up in) and her house was on the corner of Kaniau and A’a. It’s gone like ours, like so many of the others.

The house directly behind ours is intact, so we can’t really access our lot. The neighborhood slopes down from the mountain to the ocean and the neighbor’s property is higher than ours. We would need a ladder to get down past the retaining wall and onto our lot. Right now, there’s no getting any closer. A few things are recognizable - like the solar Christmas lights I leave strung up year round on our front fence - but most are the big metal items, like the car, water heater, stove, refrigerator, the washer and dryer, etc. I could recognize the bed frame in what was Connor’s room. We just bought him a new double bed in February. The washer and dryer were new, too, from January. We had been talking about saving for a new oven. Oh well.

However, we were able to take our own pictures and to see that the EPA has completed the “Household Hazardous Waste Removal” for our and our neighbor’s lot. Now, it’s more “hurry up and wait” while the County works to get a registration list going so they can escort people to their homes to see what, if anything, is left before the Army Corps of Engineers comes to clear the rubble and the ashes of our lives.

Update #4 Wednesday Sep 6, 2023

Aloha kākou. I want to thank everyone that has been a part of this journey. It really is because of your generosity that the Naganuma Ohana has come this far. All the donations, kind words, visits, emails, contacts, help with direction… it really means so much. A lesson we’re learning: self-sufficiency is an illusion; being human means we need connection, both for giving and receiving. We’ve always been grateful for the help of our family and friends, but admitting to this deep level of need has been humbling. Adulthood has always been associated with independence and we’re grateful for everyone who has shared their support with us without judgment.

Moving back in with my mother has reinforced how lucky we are to have family that helps family. My mother, Sylvia, made room for us and took us in without question. My brother, Wade, helps carry items and organizes our mail. We’ve been busy upending their routine and they’ve done their best to be patient with the trauma we carry and understanding of our sense of urgency to prepare her house for emergencies. These last few weeks, we’ve arranged for her window screens to be repaired, shower valves repaired, water heater flushed, a toilet replaced, and two more outlets installed in her garage, so we can safely plug in all her large appliances. Brian took his dad, Rodney, to shop for a new recliner, which will be delivered in October. My mom kindly arranged for a technician to install a new cable box in the room Betty and Rodney are sharing, so that they can enjoy relaxing in their own space. Next projects include replacing/repairing the kitchen light and getting her smoke detectors tested and replaced.

Losing Lahaina and losing our home has un-tethered us from routine. Nothing is the same, everything is different. Everything feels like it could be lost at any moment. We want to be safe and stable, but life is unpredictable. We drive through drier areas in Central and South Maui and speculate how quickly these homes and businesses could be lost in a fire. Living in Wailuku helps insulate us from the immediate visual reminders - Brian is still on leave from Costco, but knowing he doesn’t have to drive past the burn zone is a small relief. Connor is attending a nearby intermediate school in Central, and knowing he’s close enough to walk home is a small relief. “Starting” the school year at Kūlanihākoʻi next week and not having to drive past the burn zone in Lahaina and overlook it from Lahainaluna is both a small relief and a source of anxiety. The staff in Kihei have been hospitality itself, but there are too many of us and not really enough space. Their school is still only half built and some classes may be doubled up or outside. We still don’t know how much of our supplies might be brought over from Lahaina.

The State is asking us to continue with our routines - same classes, same bell schedules for students who have never been on campus this year - so that when we return to LHS after fall break there will be a sense of continuity… but that’s been broken since August 8. I don’t think a couple days to pause and celebrate with those who choose to attend without sending them to “their classes” would have been a remiss of our duty to educate. Acknowledge their loss - our loss - reinforce they can have trust in our school community, provide support and hope for the future. That is more important than adhering to a schedule.

Update #3 Wednesday Aug 30, 2023

Aloha all, we can’t believe it’s only been 3 weeks since the destruction of our hometown. It looks like Google Maps has updated their satellite shots to reflect the fire. The inset shot is of our house still standing. You can see Brian’s truck in the driveway and the little blue smear at the end of the green on the curb is my car. Those are the cars we fled in, and we’re grateful we had time for that.

Brian is burning through his vacation and sick leave while we’re getting set up at my mom’s. He’ll be returning to work in a couple of weeks and we’re grateful for the love and understanding his employers and colleagues have shown us. We’re figuring out the maze of insurance, replacing IDs and important paperwork, calling credit card companies, and getting mail forwarded… we’re stabilizing. We have a roof over our heads, a table to eat at, beds with sheets and pillows to rest on, underwear, and clothing. Friends, family, and the kindness and generosity of people like yourself have kept us afloat. We are so, so, so blessed. It is humbling and appreciated.

The Hawaii DOE, on the other hand, is finally coming to talk in person with staff and community members. Just like with the deployment of help and resources from official channels after the initial disaster, HIDOE is slow to mobilize and full of bureaucratic red tape. I am employed and on administrative leave. Teachers were finally called to work on Monday for information sessions with our employer (the State) and we have assurances of employment through this year. However, the State hasn’t ruled out a staff reduction for our schools in the coming years due to reduced enrollment for the Lahaina schools.

While safety tests are being conducted, the three remaining Lahaina schools are closed. Many Westside parents are turning toward enrolling their children in private schools or distance learning schools rather than wait. Some parents are keeping their children home and close by because the other option is a minimum 45-minute bus ride across the island past the burn zone twice a day to schools in South or Central Maui. There is only one real road in and out of Lahaina which often gets closed due to accidents or fire. Imagine not being able to get your kid home? Terrifying. Some families, like mine, have had to move out of Lahaina, and have enrolled their kids in other public schools. Enrollment will be down.

I’m about halfway up the totem pole in seniority at my school, but getting “bumped” or reassigned to other Maui schools could be a reality for some of us. I’ve never taught anywhere but Lahainaluna HS. I just want to go home. I wish we all could.

Update #2 Monday Aug 21, 2023

Aloha everyone, it is about 2 weeks from the horrific event that left Lahaina ravaged and most of Lahaina houseless. Since then, we’ve witnessed an outpouring of love and support from family and friends and new friends such as you. Welcome to our ohana.

We’re still sheltering with my mother, trying not to upend her life and disrupt her and my youngest brother’s schedule while we add 5 more bodies into her home. My brother has special needs and does best when he has routine and stability, which we are interrupting. We went to Iao Intermediate to enroll Connor so he can start school again. There’s been no real information about how long or short it will take until the Lahaina schools are deemed safe, however, it is our intention to transfer him back to Lahaina as soon as we’re able. That is going to be a lot of commuting for us both, having to go from a 7-mile roundtrip drive to a 42-mile roundtrip drive.

Last week, we had a visit from our awesome friend, Allen. Allen owns The Makana Shop on Oahu and has been generously raising donations through his shop and sharing the QR codes from our Gofundme and those of our family and friends who also lost their homes. Allen brought gifts and hugs; we’re grateful to his friends and family for their generosity.

His visit helped us slow down and recenter around the fact that where there is life, there is hope and love. We get caught up in thinking about what happened, how to make sense of it, and how easily it could have gone worse. I get caught up in the what-ifs and worry about what will happen next time. I have to remind myself it’s okay to slow down and rest - that rest is still a part of life.

With your help, we’ve started replacing and building a stash of hygiene products, washcloths, shower caddy, anti-slip mats in the bath, wipes, cleaning products, flashlights, batteries, and all the little things shut in the drawers you take for granted - having accumulated over the years. We’re still kind of living out of the suitcases we threw things in and I always stop and reflect how grateful I am that we had time for that and didn’t have to run into the ocean away from burning embers.

Today, Brian finally went to look where the house used to be. Dust shields have been put up to protect the rest of the neighborhood from the char and dust on our lot and our neighbor's. We're assuming FEMA or some state or county agency did this. No one has contacted us about it. We haven't laid our own eyes on the rubble, we've only seen pictures shared with us.

Here's a Before Shot of our house right around the time the fire started, before the winds changed and it reached our neighborhood.

Update #1 Monday, Aug 14, 2023 -

Thank you. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you. There are not enough words to share how much we appreciate your generosity. Brian and I are wrestling with our feelings of grief for what we lost, of relief and gratitude to have our little family intact, and of guilt for the happiness we have that our family is alive while others have lost their loved ones and livelihood in such horrific circumstances.

I am sorry it has taken so long to update and thank you. Every time I sit down to try to draft these thanks, my brain feels numb. Any kind of eloquence is lost. It feels selfish to ask for help when others have less. Anyone who knows Brian knows his strength, his laughter, his willingness to jump in without being asked when friends and family are in need, and he makes new friends all the time: in line at the grocery store, a quick conversation in a parking lot, his customers and colleagues at work. He does it for love and wants nothing in return–refuses anything in return. He finds joy in being able to be leaned on. He takes care of his friends and family. It is who he is.

To stand in that place of need is a reversal of who he is and what he does. And yet, he recognizes in your giving, that reflection of who he is: the joy in helping, the knowing that someone can lean on your strength, being able to make a difference and make someone’s life easier as a result of your involvement. We are humbled and honored by the outpouring of love and tears as we reconnect with family and friends who worried for us when we were lost.

Unstintingly, you are not only offering whatever funds you can, but also an amplifier for our voices, hands to move our remaining belongings, supplies, advice, connections to resources, help to organize next steps, shoulders to cry on, and shared words of comfort. Your support and seeing the Lahaina community rally so unselfishly means everything to us. We will survive; Lahaina will survive.

Thanks to you, we’ve got 3 new twin beds, initial hygiene supplies and toiletries, slippers, shoes for his dad, a start in replacing our lost clothing, needed groceries, vitamins, medication, a new upright freezer to help my mom account for us taking over her little refrigerator, gas in our cars, and hope for our future. We’re working on getting a disaster kit together for her home, which is now our home. Hurricane season runs through November and we want to make sure any needed home safety repairs can be arranged and that she has supplies and an evacuation plan.

Since our original goal is met, we are raising it out of the uncertainty of our needs going forward. We humbly request that you continue to share this GoFundMe as often and widely as you can and to ask your connections to share it and pray for us as well. Thank you, thank you, thank you.