Native Hawaiians are fighting to take care of their community following the deadly wildfires in Maui, Hawaii.
A volunteers works at a food and supply distribution center set up in the parking lot of a shopping mall in Lahaina, Hawaii, Aug. 16, 2023, after wildfires devastated parts of the Hawaiian island of Maui., residents have been hauling coolers and boxes off boats up to a makeshift distribution center.
"Over the course of decades, or generations, you just begin to understand that you are responsible for your own safety and survival," said Kaniela Ing, a seventh-generation Native Hawaiian from Maui who's working at another distribution center on the island. Through tears and emotion, Lawrence described each stop on her route to distribute supplies to her ohana, or family. The family members standing behind her, she told the crowd, had also just lost everything in the blaze. Still, they showed up to help.The meaning of ohana shifts from person to person on the island. Sometimes, it refers to those directly related by blood. Other times, it's the common bond of those who share friendship, values, and community.
With millions in donations pouring in, Michelle Kauhane, the chief impact officer at the Hawaii Community Foundation, said the Maui Strong Fund is working with local leaders and residents to fund community priorities.
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