Nonprofits and government programs have distributed millions of dollars to help residents displaced by the Maui wildfires acquire necessities like food, housing and transportation.
One such group is Maui Economic Opportunity Inc., the island's largest nonprofit. CEO Debbie Cabebe joined The Conversation during a live show in Lahaina.
"We also were approached by the state to run a Maui disaster Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program. And so we had that up, really by Oct. 1, we were administering money. We've given out about $12 million so far, helped over 2,000 households and about 6,000 individuals with that particular pot of money," she said.
The fires destroyed many cars left behind during the evacuation on Aug. 8, 2023. Cabebe said about $3 million has helped people buy cars and make monthly payments.
"It's $5,000 down, up to $500 a month for four months. So about $7,000 in total that we can pay toward a car," she told HPR. "I know as people are starting to transition out of some of the short-term housing into other solutions, they may, you know, want to tap into those funds. So if they haven't applied, now is the time."
She said the Maui community has been generous with "time, talent, treasury" over the past year.
"I think just supporting each other through whatever that road to recovery looks like, I think is really going to be important to help us move forward," Cabebe added.
This interview aired on The Conversation on Aug. 5, 2024. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1.
