How the Church of Jesus Christ is helping Maui wildfires victims 1 year later

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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has provided an additional $1.5 million to the American Red Cross to help victims of the August 2023 Maui wildfires in Hawaii.

The church donated $1 million to the Red Cross in the days after the fires began on Aug. 8, 2023. It recently made the new donation, Elder Voi R. Taeoalii, an Area Seventy serving in the North America West Area, told Island News .

Five Latter-day Saints died in the fires, and 80 members of a single congregation, the Lahaina 1st Ward, lost their homes.

In the days after the fires began, the church provided water and other basic needs to evacuees. It also opened temporary shelters in two meetinghouses in the fire zones in Lahaina, a historic town ravaged by the wildfires. One meetinghouse remained opened for two weeks until those displaced by the wildfires found other accommodations.

“The latest contribution on the part of the church is an example of ... our ongoing commitment to continue to help Maui,” Mufi Hannemann, media specialist for the church’s Hawaii Communications Council, said during the Island News program.

The Church of Jesus Christ also provided help and volunteers through the Maui United Way , Hawaii VOAD and the church’s JustServe website .

Elder Taeoalii told Island News viewers they can volunteer to help through JustServe and said the church is working with high schools to organize youth volunteers to help.

“This latest contribution from our church fulfills our Christ-like mission and responsibility to always strive to help our fellow brothers and sisters in need wherever they may reside,” he told ABC17 News.

The fires caused the deaths of 102 people and destroyed more than 2,200 structures.

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said Wednesday that he hopes to finalize details of settlement of lawsuits filed in the wake of the wildfires that will be worth $4 billion, according to the Hill .

From a journalism perspective, it was upsetting and instructive to learn in the weeks after the fires that many rumors about how they started were the result of disinformation campaigns by Chinese and Russian groups. The rumors and falsified reports blamed a “weather weapon” or “space laser” for the fires or making other false claims about “the amazing truth behind the wildfire.”

Some of the misinformation even discouraged Lahaina residents from seeking assistance from government and charitable agencies.

The goal was to sow confusion and distrust, U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, told Hawaii News Now. That is a good reminder to seek information from trusted sources, especially during a disaster.

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