Thousands of Lahaina restaurant workers are scheduled to receive financial aid in the form of $600 prepaid debit cards following a fundraiser by celebrity chef Guy Fieri.
About $1.2 million was donated to the Hawaiʻi Restaurant Association. That money is being distributed to about 2,000 restaurant workers affected by the August fires on Maui, particularly those who have been displaced by the Lahaina fire.
Fieri himself has showcased Maui restaurants several times on his television shows.
The Guy Fieri Foundation, the restaurant association, American Savings Bank and Fiserv teamed up to distribute the debit cards. The association spent the last several weeks reaching out to about 70 restaurant owners.
Sheryl Matsuoka, the executive director of HRA, said the debit cards will help those affected by the fires recoup the basics that many are still without, even months after the fires swept through Lahaina on Aug. 8.
“They ran out of the house, and the stories I hear is they don't even have their shoes — they just ran out with slippers. They're not gonna grab their work shoes, right? A lot of them need to work, but they need clothes to work,” Matsuoka said.
John Ward, the chief marketing and product officer at ASB, said part of the goal of the fundraiser and distribution event is to encourage other groups to also provide support down the road.
“We really want to get the message out to make this a multiplier and encourage and inspire others to do something similar, because the need is going to be for years," Ward said.
The restaurant association said it wants more restaurant owners to reach out so additional workers can receive aid. The association can be reached at info@hawaiirestaurant.com or 808-944-9105.
