Lahaina, HI – Hoʻōla iā Mauiakama Long Term Recovery Group (Hoʻōla LTRG) has received a $760,528 grant from the Maui Strong Fund of the Hawai‘i Community Foundation. The award will launch the new Volunteer Rebuild Housing Program, expand disaster recovery operations, and enhance coordination of direct services for families impacted by the August 2023 wildfires on Maui.

This investment supports critical recovery infrastructure to launch a volunteer homebuilding program that will help close major funding gaps for families unable to rebuild on their own. It includes startup costs for construction coordination, volunteer housing, and the first five homes—establishing a foundation for a scalable model that can deliver 10–20 homes annually. Through an 18-month lease from the Catholic Diocese of Honolulu, Hoʻōla Maui and its field partner, Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS), will convert two fire-surviving buildings at Sacred Hearts School in Lahaina into volunteer sleeping quarters, with new facilities including an outdoor kitchen and showers to support ongoing deployment.

Homeowners are selected through the Hoʻōla Rebuild Coalition, a collaboration between Hawaiʻi Community Lending, Habitat for Humanity Maui, Lahaina Community Land Trust, and Hoʻōla LTRG. The coalition offers comprehensive recovery planning by leveraging grants, vendor discounts, donated materials, volunteer labor, and professional construction management services.

In parallel, Hoʻōla LTRG leads the Disaster Case Management (DCM) Coalition, which brings together a growing network of case managers from Roots Reborn, Hawaiʻi Community Lending, Kaibigan ng Lahaina, and Hoʻōla Maui’s own team. Seventeen case managers currently participate in ongoing training, receive peer support, and utilize shared tools to deliver coordinated and compassionate care to wildfire survivors.

To ensure that families with complex or urgent needs are not left behind, Hoʻōla Maui also facilitates a coordinated funder roundtable. This group allows philanthropic partners to hear directly from case managers about specific gaps in support, acting as a last-stop recovery resource when conventional options are unavailable. This targeted giving strategy has proven instrumental in helping families cross the final threshold to rebuilding and long-term stability.

“The Maui Strong Fund is focused on investing in trusted, community-rooted partners who are ready to move recovery forward with care and coordination,” said Keanu Lau Hee, Senior Director of the Maui Recovery Effort at the Hawai‘i Community Foundation. “Hoʻōla iā Mauiakama’s strong partnerships, and commitment to collaboration reflect the kind of capacity and alignment needed to help families not just rebuild, but recover with dignity.”

“This grant from the Hawai‘i Community Foundation is more than a contribution—it’s a catalyst,” said Rhonda Alexander-Monkres, Executive Director of Hoʻōla iā Mauiakama. “We’re building homes, partnerships, and pathways to healing. With HCF’s support, our community can move forward with grace and gratitude. It’s a testament to the power of unity and the unwavering hope we share for Maui’s future.”

Construction is expected to begin in October 2025. Community members and partners interested in donating, volunteering, or learning more about Hoʻōla Maui’s programs are encouraged to visit mauilongtermrecovery.org. 

About Hoʻōla iā Mauiakama:
Hoʻōla iā Mauiakama Long Term Recovery Group (Hoʻōla LTRG) is Maui’s official LTRG, established in response to the August 2023 wildfires. Hoʻōla LTRG leads coordinated efforts to support survivor recovery through housing, case management, and wraparound services. The organization brings together diverse partners to deliver practical, culturally grounded solutions that foster long-term resilience and healing. For more information, please visit mauilongtermrecovery.org. 

About the Hawai‘i Community Foundation:

The vision of the Hawai‘i Community Foundation is to create an equitable and vibrant Hawai‘i in which all our Island communities thrive. With our more-than-108-year history, our trusted expertise, and the generous support of donors, we are working to address the root causes of our state’s most difficult challenges, including expanding access to affordable housing, conserving freshwater resources, and ensuring the healthy development of Hawaiʻi’s young children. We focus our efforts through the CHANGE Framework, which identifies six essential sectors affecting the overall well-being of these islands and their people. HCF works in communities across Hawaiʻi, with offices and staff located statewide. In 2024, HCF stewarded more than 1,160 funds, established by individuals, businesses, and organizations who share our passion for a better Hawaiʻi. We distributed over $172 million in grants to the community from funds at HCF, contracts, and private foundations statewide, including scholarships assisting more than 1,100 Hawaiʻi students. For more information about HCF, please visit Hawaiicommunityfoundation.org and follow our social media channels on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.

The Maui Strong Fund of the Hawai‘i Community Foundation is providing financial resources to support the immediate and long-term recovery needs for the people and places affected by the Maui wildfires. HCF works in close collaboration with federal, state and county agencies, nonprofit organizations, and community members to get an understanding of the evolving priorities on the ground and deploys grants to address unmet needs. To ensure transparency, all grantees and award amounts from the Maui Strong Fund are updated regularly. The Maui Strong Fund is designed for the long haul, using a four-phase approach that includes recovery, stabilization, risk reduction, and resiliency building.