Helping our Maui ʻOhana

A message from Chancellor Maenette Benham in an email dated Aug. 10:

To our UH West Oʻahu ʻohana,

We watch with devastation and increasing sadness as news from Maui reveals the extent of the ongoing destruction due to the Lahaina wildfires. Many in our campus community have expressed a desire to help our fellow UH ʻohana on Maui – it is this giving spirit that makes Hawaiʻi so special. Let us gather our collective efforts as we rally around a recovery.

At UH West Oʻahu, some of our students currently reside on Maui. If you need support or assistance, call the College Success Advisors at 808-689-2689 – the start of the fall semester is weeks away and we know you will need extra care and consideration. Any UH West Oʻahu student who feels the need to speak to a counselor should contact our Mental Health Services team.

For those who want to give, UH West Oʻahu’s ʻAi Pōhaku Indigenous Peoples’ Club, located in the Nāulu Center, will be running a donation drive. It is seeking donations for non-perishable goods, hygiene products, and comfort items such as clothing, bedding, towels, board games, diapers, wipes, gift cards, and other items you may want to donate. Dates for drop off will be Aug. 11, 14, 15, and 16 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Donations can be dropped off at the Nāulu Center, room C-131. Please bring donations in an unwrapped box or unsealed container. Contact ʻAi Pōhaku at 808-689-2685 or aipohaku@hawaii.edu.

Additionally, the UH Foundation has created the Help Maui fund and there is also a UHMC Faculty and Staff Aid fund.

I’m sure in the coming days that more requests for donations will be communicated. Please consider giving in any capacity to support our Maui ʻohana. See below for a non-comprehensive list of ways to donate:

• American Red Cross of Hawaii
• Hawaii Community Foundation – Maui Strong
• Maui Food Bank
• Maui Rapid Response
• Maui United Way – Maui Fire Disaster Relief

UH employees should seek out the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) of the Pacific site for additional resources.

I reiterate President Lassner’s sentiments: UH West Oʻahu stands ready with our state, county, and non-profit partners to help where we can.

Mahalo nūnui,
Maenette Benham, Chancellor