Maui’s wildfires are the deadliest in recent US history. Here’s how to help

The deadly fires that devastated Maui left residents rushing to help their neighbors with food, water, fuel and other desperately needed essentials.  

Volunteers have been distributing supplies to survivors as they waited for official aid to arrive. 

The Maui fires are the deadliest in the U.S. in the last 100 years, with officials warning the death toll will increase. Maui’s remote location has made the need for assistance even more dire.

Here are some organizations that are providing assistance. As always, experts recommend making sure a charity is legitimate before you donate and choosing groups that are well-established. You can find information about them on GuideStar and Charity Navigator.

The Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement is matching donations of up to $1.5 million and says that 100% of the proceeds will go to Maui organizations supporting relief efforts. It also provides a list of needed goods, including baby supplies, first aid, bedding and blankets and other items.

The Hawaii Community Foundation is seeking monetary donations for the Maui Strong Fund. Again 100% of the money will go toward community needs.

Maui United Way is seeking donations for fire disaster relief. It says it will provide direct relief to families and nonprofits affected by the fire.

GoFundMe has set up a page of Maui fire relief fundraisers that its team has verified. The fundraisers are for families and individuals who lost their homes and other belongings in the fire or who were otherwise affected. GoFundMe will add more fundraisers as they are verified.

The Maui Food Bank is looking for monetary donations as well donations of food and other supplies.

The Maui Humane Society is seeking donations as it provides pet supplies and emergency kits to shelters so that people and pets can stay together. Veterinarians and other professionals are volunteering at the shelters and other spots.

The American Red Cross is raising money for its relief efforts. More than 200 of its trained disaster workers — from Maui, other Hawaiian islands and elsewhere in the country — are helping and others are on their way, it says. It has opened shelters, has been providing disaster supplies to evacuees and will begin distributing relief supplies in the hardest hit areas when it is able.

The Center for Disaster Philanthropy has launched a new fund for the Maui wildfires relief. It will support mid- to long-term recovery in Maui and other islands that are affected. It says its focus, as usual, will be to provide grants to local organizations that support marginalized people to work toward an equitable recovery. 

It suggests considering the support of local organizations that have flexible funding, that work to prevent or minimize the effects of future disasters, that promote practices for mitigating wildfires and droughts and living with climate change and support the economic recovery of small, locally owned and culturally relevant businesses.

Photos: Deadly Wildfires Devastate Maui’s West End