Some immigrants who have been affected by the Lāhainā fires last month may be hesitant about seeking disaster relief assistance.
The latest U.S. Census Bureau data shows that about 32% of Lāhainā’s population is “foreign-born,” and there are concerns that they are going without help because they don’t want to reveal their citizenship status or there language barriers in place.
Adam Runkle, an American Red Cross regional disaster officer and deputy coordinating officer, said intermediaries usually have to be involved.
“We do find that often it is through a family member that other family members who are in need are able to connect with the Red Cross,” he said.
“It can be a trusted friend or an acquaintance, or even perhaps a trusted community leader or trusted faith leader, who's able to bridge that gap, who's able to address the hesitancy that some may have in approaching the Red Cross.”
Runkle, who spoke at the state Capitol Thursday with other local officials to discuss developments in the Lāhainā recovery effort, said that immigrants shouldn’t be afraid of getting help from the Red Cross.
“What we want to make sure is that it is abundantly clear that services from the American Red Cross, since we are a non-governmental agency, since we are a charity, we are allowed to provide all of our care and to everyone in need, regardless of citizenship status,” Runkle said.
He said the agency does not provide citizenship information to immigration authorities. Red Cross services include temporary housing, health care, food and financial assistance.
Runkle said the agency’s main effort is known as “non-congregate sheltering,” which is meant to ensure that Maui fire survivors who have lost their homes have shelter.
