Thanks to $21 million in federal funds, a new program is providing 300 jobs for people affected by the Maui wildfires.
The jobs are temporary, lasting up to a year, with possible extensions. They cover a variety of tasks from helping with non-toxic cleanup to working in an office.
The wages vary depending on the type of work, according to Maricar Pilotin-Freitas, the administrator of the Workforce Development Division at the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.
For example, a humanitarian assistant would be paid $23 an hour and an administrative assistant would get $26 an hour, she said.
"This will provide some financial assistance while they transition to more permanent jobs. So this is a temporary job for those that were impacted and it allows them to have that financial stability to provide food on the table for their families, as well as help with their daily living expenses," Pilotin-Freitas said.
To be eligible for these jobs, you need to have been living on Maui at the time of the wildfires and have lost your job because of the fires.
Find more information at meoinc.org.
This interview aired on The Conversation on Nov. 7, 2023. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1.
