A YEAR AFTER: Restoring homes, hearts, and Holy Innocents Episcopal Church & Episcopal Relief & Development Returns to Maui By Cindy Schumacher, Maui Regional Reporter
(Pictured above, Episcopal Relief & Development (ERD) held a meeting for members from Maui Episcopal churches on July 13, 2024, hosted by Good Shepherd in Wailuku. From ERD are standing at right, Tamara Plummer, and kneeling at left is Lura Steele)
[July 25, 2024] As we move towards a year since the devastating 2023 Maui wildfires, disaster response efforts are still trying to address the urgent needs of survivors. The island has a long road ahead before it fully recovers, with significant housing, infrastructure and economic challenges.
The August 8, 2023 wildfires continue to impact recovery with sluggish economic growth in the 2024 forecast, according to new information compiled by the state Department of Business Economic Development and Tourism. This information was part of the department’s second quarter 2024 Statistical and Economic Report. Construction remains a bright spot for the economy, according to the report. In April 2024, construction added 3,300 jobs compared to the same month in 2023.
On Wednesday, June 5, the Maui County Council approved the first new budget since the devastating wildfires last summer. A $1.7 billion spending plan for the fiscal year 2025 starting July 1, 2024, includes aid to the ongoing recovery in Lāhainā and parts of Upcountry to upgrade housing solutions for the approximately 12,000 people displaced by the August fires. Also included are funds for the Maui Fire Department and the Maui Emergency Management Agency.
Governor Josh Green has made it clear, “We must find or create housing, rebuild the historic town of Lāhainā, provide financial assistance to survivors, and improve emergency preparedness. I am taking all issues into consideration starting with the biggest, which is housing. By the wildfire’s first anniversary, more than 90% of the destroyed lots will be cleared.”
Additionally, the list of organizations, nonprofits, and volunteers who have helped and still are helping local victims is colossal. The resilience of the community in coming together and supporting each other has been nothing short of outstanding. Almost miraculously, people of Maui and Hawai’i, and across the globe have stepped up, worked together, and helped save each other, sometimes in unexpected ways. Putting aside all differences, they have done what needed to be done.
While moving forward to physically restore and rebuild, there are still mental health issues that need to be addressed.
“Trauma has made it difficult for individuals to navigate many of the federal assistance programs, to access federal resources, to address housing and property damage and other disaster-related costs,” said Maui resident Dr. Bridget Bongaard, a board-certified internal medicine physician and medical director, who set out to help those who are experiencing grief and PTSD due to the Maui wildfires, or any kind of trauma. Dr. Bongaard understands that recovery efforts must also keep the trauma of impacted communities in mind.
The Rev. Alexander (Sandy) Graham, Canon to Bishop Robert Fitzpatrick, gave an update of his time visiting Maui since the August wildfire destroyed Holy Innocents Episcopal Church in Lāhainā. He shared, “As we approach the year anniversary of the Maui fires, we know that the heartbreak won’t completely go away, but neither will the inspiration of everyday people sacrificially responding to the needs of the siblings and cousins they didn’t even know by name.
“A Cup of Cold Water (ACCW) continues to astound with their continued—though changed—work which they have been committed to for over a decade. They are now doing even more with even less (hotels and other businesses which used to offer things like sheets and towels either no longer exist or are unable to continue to contribute in the way they once did). Cathy Paxton Haines and the whole ACCW Board have had to stretch in new and unexpected ways, but they did not break!
“The resilient faithful of Holy Innocents continue to lament and praise and pray together, and you get a real, palpable feeling when you are with them that nothing will stop them. Along with the rest of Lāhainā, they wait as patiently as they can, but waiting is frustratingly pervasive all across Maui.
“I can’t say enough about the good work of Kalani Holokai. In the few short months, she’s been on the job, her diligence and connectedness give us confidence that we won’t miss anything, either for parishioners, people in need whom we might be able to help, or even the county/state/volunteer organizations. She’s been thorough yet pastoral in her efforts, and we couldn’t thank her enough.
“We do want to make sure that people know that we are committed to rebuilding. We don’t know what that might entail, what new zoning may be in place, or even the timeline. There are a host of things out of our control and questions we can’t yet get answers for, but we are most certainly in this for the long haul.”
Agreeing, Cathy Paxton-Haines, current president of (ACCW) and member of St. John’s Kula, shared her year-after update, “It’s been a difficult year, with much to restore and heal. The day after the wildfires, Keku Akana, who started ACCW in 2013, and was then Maui County’s Managing Director, asked ACCW to take water and supplies for 100 people to West Maui. As we drove along the bypass, it was hard to believe the blackened ruins where the town of Lāhainā used to be. We passed multi-story buildings still in flames, and the scenes were etched in my memory. We saw people standing on corners just staring. It was heart-breaking.”
FEMA and the Red Cross appeared soon in West Maui with medical care and supplies. Many houseless people were given rooms in hotels and condos. The ACCW Board decided to begin weekly runs to West Maui, as well as to the South Side and Central Maui, since they knew the federal support would end at some point, and they wanted to be ready.
“At a Board meeting just before the wildfires, the Treasurer’s Report showed that the bank balance for ACCW was the lowest it has been since its beginning. However, when the wildfires occurred, there was a generous outpouring of donations to ACCW. Large and small donations came from many places, organizations, and individuals across the country. We prayerfully tried to use the money in the way it was intended by the donors, including giving money to wildfire victims through Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in Wailuku and St. John’s Kula.”
To say ACCW suddenly expanded after the wildfires is an understatement. Prior to Covid, there were three runs a week with 70+ volunteers. That number dwindled dramatically during Covid, and since the wildfires, ACCW has been dealing with a lack of volunteers, leading to burnout for those doing extra duty.
In December, the Episcopal Church sent two people from Emergency Relief & Development (ERD) which sends people to disasters all over the world, to help on Maui. Paxton-Haines emphasized, “Their conclusion was that we could not continue to operate in the same way we had before the wildfires. One ERD representative said she would write a grant and wanted ACCW to hire a part-time assistant. Although ACCW has always been all-volunteer and taken no government money, the Board decided to follow the ERD advice and hire a part-time Outreach Ministry Aide (OMA). Jordan Diaz was selected and started on March 1, 2024.”
At present, ACCW has moved the van to Good Shepherd Church and rented a small office. The supply room is also located there. Volunteers from several sources make peanut butter and jelly (PB&J) sandwiches for the ministry.
“Handing the sandwiches to welcoming hands has become as integral as the bottles of cold water to our mission,” Paxton-Haines noted. “Additional volunteers for the van and the supply room are slowly being recruited, giving the steadfast ACCW volunteers some relief. While it is inspiring to provide compassion, cold water, a PB&J sandwich, other food in a bag, hygiene kits, slippers, clothes, towels, sheets, pet food, back packs, tarps, and other items to those living on the street, it is also exhausting.”
The affordable-housing shortage on Maui was bad before the wildfires, and now it is a crisis. ACCW is serving more and more unsheltered people every week. “The main shelter on Maui, Ke Hale A Ke Ola Homeless Resource Center, does what it can but is full,” Paxton-Haines pointed out. “In fact, one of its centers in West Maui burned. In a matter of days after the wildfires, Project Vision put up Pu’uhonua O Nēne, or Tent City, which is full. The Family Life Center (which received some money from ACCW) has some modular units and is focusing on families with children ages 5 and under and on kupuna. All these contributions to housing on Maui are helping, but so much more is needed,”
Kalani Holokai, Diocese of Hawai’i Assistant Wildfire Coordinator from Good Shepherd Church, described her new role. “I am representing the church, especially in regard to our property that burned in the Lāhainā fire. My job is to inform the Diocese about what we need to do, and what the county or the state is going to require of us going forward, especially if we plan to rebuild. I’m trying to coordinate resources, keep in touch with all the agencies, government and NGO agencies who are helping the community to rebuild their properties.
“I want to be engaged in the community. I want to help. The Episcopal Church has been in Lāhainā over 100 years, and we have a rich history there. If we do rebuild, there are going to be new rules and guidelines, so it is good for us as a church to know what is happening in the community.”
Holokai has recently been part of the Long Term Recovery Group (LTRG) that is helping people most affected by the wildfires financially. “I attended my first meeting last month,” she explained. “LTRG is a working group of Hawaii VOAD (Hawai’i Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster) and specifically for Maui in this recent disaster, it is being called the Resource Roundtable.
“It's a group of VOAD members with various capabilities and resources, hearing cases of unmet needs and then offering their resources to fulfill that need. Members of this working group consists of both locally based organizations, faith groups, and local representatives of National organizations.” (For more information, visit https://www.hawaiistatevoad.org/wg/.
Holokai continued, “With funds committed to this group, I think we'll (officially) hear cases very soon. However, many members have already been fulfilling unmet needs through their own paths, communications and other partnerships. For example, the Episcopal Church women have also been providing gift cards to each of the survivors’ families once a month.
“I try to get over to Lāhainā to worship with the congregation of Holy Innocents. They meet on the West Side in Kapalua at the Honolua United Methodist Church, who have graciously opened their doors at 8:00 AM on Sunday mornings. Of the twelve core families of the congregation, nine of them lost their homes; including one death. They don't really talk about the event too much because they are still going through it. Some have opened their hearts to me, and they keep inviting me back. So, I’ve made it a commitment to go although it is 50 miles one way for me to do it. They’re taking steps to re-engage into the church, all taking a part in the service. It’s really nice to see, but it’s a hard time.”
Many people affected by the fire need time and space away from their normal duties and routines to be able to focus on themselves and gain insight. West Side resident Dr. Katy Shroder, a clinical psychologist and the newly elected president of the Rotary Club of Lāhainā, shared her experience as a member of the historic Holy Innocents Episcopal Church that was completely lost in the fire. Dr. Shroder is also a Eucharistic Minister, Licensed Worship Leader and strong voice of the Holy Innocents congregation.
“Since the fires,” she said, “I have been constantly busy helping others with their trauma and healing. I did not lose my home, but most of my congregation did, as well as a life lost. Following the wildfire, we were meeting at different homes. Now, as we slowly move towards restoring homes and hearts, we are meeting at the Honolua United Methodist Church.
“We’ve had a lot of help from the Diocese in terms of supply clergy, hymnals, and prayer books; however, it’s basically a difficult situation. As we move into the stage after complete shock, we find we need to know what we’re going to do next. Also, we still need reminders on how to reframe a situation, to recognize that it is not hopeless, and that an opportunity to move on is there if we keep seeking. Basically, moving forward, we still need a plan.”
(Pictured are Dr. Katy Shroder (left) and others from Holy Innocents serve with supply priest, the Rev. Heather Mueller at the Honolua United Methodist Church on the West Side.)
Episcopal Relief & Development (ERD) Returns to Maui
The Episcopal Relief & Development (ERD) team returned to Maui on Saturday, July 13, 2024. Hosted by the Rev. Moki Hino at Good Shepherd Church, Wailuku, Episcopalians from the Maui churches, along with ERD Program Officers, Lura Steele and Tamara Plummer, shared an update on the 2023 Maui wildfires and talked about the next phase of their support. There was also an opportunity to ask questions and share concerns relative to ERD’s work in the wildfire recovery.
ERD has been partnering with the Episcopal Diocese of Hawai'i to provide cash assistance, housing and relocation support after the wildfires on Maui devastated the island on August 8, 2023. The deadly fires that swept through Lāhainā and Kula claimed over one hundred lives. The majority of homes and community gathering places in Lāhainā were destroyed and thousands of people were displaced. Affected communities lost family, friends, homes, jobs, and transportation.
At the ERD meeting on July 13th, study groups of priests and lay members of the Maui churches discussed the issues at hand. Some of the topics included:
The redevelopment of Lahaina;
Lack of housing and the increase of homelessness;
Detachment from the diocese and discussion of the funds;
Demographic changes and possible loss of culture;
Who is not being heard;
Pastoral community care;
Coordination with other churches and organizations;
Helping neighbors;
Emotional care.
Fr. Moki Hino said, “We are grateful to ERD for coming back to mark the one year anniversary of the Maui wildfires with us and we are touched by their commitment to our recovery efforts. They held a clergy gathering in the parish hall on Friday, and another session including lay participants on Saturday.
“I’m thankful for the review of where we were a year ago and how much we have accomplished in our wildfire relief efforts as we approach the one year anniversary of the fires. The opportunity to discern how the Episcopal Churches on Maui, and the island in general, are doing on the timeline of a disaster, was extremely helpful as we move forward.”
Plummer noted, “The ERD has been a companion to the diocese and affected communities since the beginning of this disaster. We will remain a resource and active participant as they transition to meeting longer term needs for housing, employment and counseling. Our mission continues to hear God’s call to seek and serve Christ in all persons and to respect the dignity of every human being. ERD seeks to bring together the generosity of Episcopalians and others with the needs of those most affected by the fires.”
As attendees worked in groups discussing the phases of the issues, including the trauma that people are still experiencing, they also talked about how to best use the appropriated funds. The ERD administers the funds that it receives from the church and raises from other sources. It provides relief in times of disaster and promotes sustainable recovery by identifying and addressing the root causes of suffering, which is why these meetings are vital.
“Our purpose is to see what you are all experiencing a year later,” Plummer explained. “Our goal is to understand and to help make the long-term recovery plan. These meetings are also a way to amplify the voices of those in need. It’s taken a whole year for some things to work out. We wish things would work faster. We cannot solve all the wildfire problems, but we can help. As for the funds, they are not released all at once. It takes time to spend the money. We need to identify where and how it will be best spent.”
The Diocese of Hawai'i and the ERD are currently deciding how to continue to spend the money sent from Episcopalians and other people around the world. Kalani Holokai, the Episcopal Diocese of Hawai'i Community Relations Administrative Assistant from Good Shepherd Church, is working with the Diocese and ERD to let them know what immediate needs are.
“I am meeting with people affected by the fires and agencies that are servicing them,” Holokai said. “In my position, I can see where money will be best spent, sort of like ‘recovery matchmaking’. Because I need support on the ground to help make these decisions, we are presently looking for people to assist me with this program.”
A Cup of Cold Water (ACCW) President Cathy Paxton-Haines added, “We need Kalani and others to assist with the social-work aspect of our ministry. ACCW volunteers are not social workers. We just barely are able to do what we’re doing as our numbers served have increased dramatically. I feel an emptiness with so many local people, often native Hawaiians, leaving Maui.”
During the meeting on July 13, it was also agreed that more Episcopalians from the Maui churches need to meet with the families from Holy Innocents. “They need our support,” Hino said. “It’s important that we find out exactly what their issues and needs are.”
The Rev. John Hau'oli Tomoso of Trinity-by-the-Sea, agreed. “All of Maui is affected. We all have challenges. The whole island is learning from the lessons of Lahaina and how we as a community can do better. Most importantly, we as a church can help people. We should go to the Lāhainā congregation with our families and offer them our support.”
Lura Steele from ERD added, “That’s what church is. That’s what ministry looks like! Engaging with those in need is ‘love in action’.” Lāhainā resident Milton Rickard, a member of Holy Innocents Church, pointed out, “I grew up in Lāhainā and have to accept that it may never be the same. We simply don’t know. My house did not burn; however, I was displaced because we were in the midst of the burn zone and the water is still not acceptable. We are currently living in Wailuku and attending Good Shepherd Church. Insurance money helped, but it is running out and new policies are not easily attainable. We are fortunate to have also had assistance from several agencies. “No one knows about how or what the commitment to rebuild looks like. We pray that our historic sites and culture are acknowledged for the community and visitors as well. As for me, I want the community to be the striving portion behind the development. There are several groups at work there. I believe they are giving people an opportunity to talk, although ears are closed on certain discussions at the moment. So, we’ll see. Hopefully, when ERD comes back again, we will have more information about the future of Lāhainā.”
At the end of the meeting, Tomoso announced, “The Standing Committee of the Diocese of Hawai’i is coming to Maui on August 17, and will meet at Trinity-by-the-Sea from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM. All of the churches on Maui are invited along with ACCW volunteers. The Committee will hear the community concerns so that they can carry them back to the Bishop. The committee intends to listen to what we can do as a diocese to continue to help those affected by the Maui wildfires.”
Photos: Cindy Schumacher, The Rev. Moki Hino, Episcopal Relief & Development (ACCW photo)
