Shelters around Maui have been providing food, water, and other essential items to those impacted by the fires.
One of them is King's Cathedral Maui in Kahului. As one of the largest churches on the island, it sheltered 900 people and offered resources to many more. Over the past week, there has been an outpouring of community support.
Pastor Shannon Marocco said the church has worked with the government to find hotel rooms for everyone at the shelter, so they are not currently housing anyone.
"And of course, some people didn't want to leave, which was shocking to us, but they felt so loved. So taken care of," Marocco said.
The church offered survivors three meals per day, clothing, toiletries and 24-hour first aid care. Food and supplies were donated from companies, non-profits and individuals around the world.
"We have so much still coming," Marocco said.
King's Cathedral has over 400 congregations worldwide. Marocco said all of them are raising money to support relief efforts on Maui. One member of the church posted an Amazon wish list for those affected online.
"We had thousands of Amazon boxes show up to our church," Marocco recalled. "We’re really praying that God would allow us to be a storehouse."
Members of the church are now working on providing temporary housing on church property for those who need it.
They bought 10 acres of land across from the church, along with dozens of portable, tiny houses.
"We understand there's so many people in the area that don't want to move off the island and want to rebuild, and that's going to take time," Marocco said. "We can be support for in that interim time."
In spite of the challenges she and her community have faced, Marocco remains hopeful about the future.
"Every day brings new joys and new sorrows and new problems and new solutions," she said.
"That's what I'm seeing in this time. God's really giving us wisdom on how to help people — how to surround them physically and spiritually."
This interview aired on The Conversation on August 18, 2023. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1. This interview was adapted for the web by Emily Tom.
