Maui residents describe volunteer efforts on the ground after devastating wildfires

CONGRESS FOR ANOTHER $12 MILLION OF DISASTER RELIEF. NOW, AS THOSE FEDERAL AGENCIES HIT THE GROUND IN MAUI, LOCAL VOLUNTEERS HAVE BEEN STEPPING UP TO FILL THE GAPS SINCE TRAGEDY FIRST STRUCK. AND JOINING US LIVE THIS MORNING IS JESSICA HOWARD, WHOSE CHURCH HAS NOW TRANSFORMED INTO A SHELTER. GOOD MORNING AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. I KNOW IT’S EARLY OUT THERE. WE APPRECIATE IT. ALOHA. WHERE IS YOUR CHURCH LOCATED AND WHAT ARE WHAT SOME OF THE MOBILIZATION EFFORTS RIGHT NOW GOING ON? SO WE ARE ACTUALLY LOCATED ON THE CENTRAL AREA OF MAUI, WHICH IS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF LAHAINA. WE ARE ON WE’RE IN KAHULUI. AND THAT AT 125 WEST COMMAND AVENUE, WE ARE THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER DAY SAINTS. AND WE ARE ABLE TO SHELTER ABOUT 130 PEOPLE. AND SO WHAT WE’VE DONE IS WE’VE TRANSFORMED OUR CHURCH GYM INTO A SLEEPING SPACE. WE HAVE SHOWERS. WE HAVE FOOD, WE HAVE THINGS THAT ANYTHING THAT YOU WOULD NEED AND PEOPLE HAVE BEEN UTILIZING OUR SPACE AND WE HOPE TO SEE MORE BE ABLE TO HELP MORE PEOPLE. YEAH, AND YOU’VE DONE SO IN A RELATIVELY SHORT TIME. I MEAN, NOT LIKE ANYBODY COULD HAVE BEEN PREPARED FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS. YOU’RE SERVING A LOT OF LOCAL FOLKS ON MAUI, BUT YOU’RE ALSO SEEING A LOT OF VISITORS COME THROUGH, TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHO YOU’RE SEEING WALK THROUGH THE DOOR. HOW LONG ARE THEY STAYING RIGHT NOW? CORRECT. SO WE’VE GOTTEN A FEW FAMILIES, SOME OF THEM WITH, YOU KNOW, LOTS OF KIDS, 4 OR 5 KIDS. THEY’VE BEEN STUCK HERE ON THEIR VACATION. CAN’T GO BACK TO THEIR HOTELS WAITING FOR THEIR FLIGHTS. AND SO WE’VE BEEN ABLE TO HAVE THEM HERE AT OUR CHURCH AND THEY’VE BEEN ABLE TO STAY COMFORTABLY. AND, YOU KNOW, DO THINGS IN THE DAYTIME. BUT COME BACK AND BE ABLE TO HAVE A PLACE TO SLEEP, A PLACE TO SHOWER AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO WE’VE SEEN A FEW FAMILIES LIKE THAT. SOME OF THEM ARE HEADING OUT REAL SOON WITHIN THIS NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. AND SO WITH THAT HAPPENING, WE ARE ALWAYS OPEN TO HAVING MORE. NOW, CLEARLY, THE THE LARGEST DEVASTATION HAS BEEN IN LAHAINA, BUT IT’S BEEN A STRUGGLE FOR FAMILIES ACROSS THE ISLAND, EVEN IN KULA. I THINK YOU STILL LIVE UP THERE. YOU’RE DRINKING WATER SITUATION. WHAT’S THAT LIKE AT THIS MOMENT? CORRECT. SO UPCOUNTRY, MAUI KULA, I BELIEVE THE FIRES ARE STILL NOT 100% CONTAINED. SO THEY’RE STILL WORKING ON THAT. THEY’RE NO LONGER A SAFETY ISSUE FOR FOR THOSE WHO ARE THERE. IT’S NOT IN ANY IMMEDIATE DANGER. BUT YES, THE WATER IN THE AREA IS CONTAMINATED. WE’VE BEEN ASKED TO ONLY USE BOTTLED WATER. USUALLY, YOU KNOW, WHEN THINGS LIKE THIS HAPPEN, YOU CAN AT LEAST BOIL WATER. BUT THIS TIME, NO, THEY’RE SAYING NOT TO BOIL THE WATER, NOT TO USE THE WATER AT ALL. BOTTLED WATER ONLY. YEAH. AND OF COURSE, WE’VE SEEN A LOT OF VIDEO OF SHELTERS ACROSS SOCIAL MEDIA. THEY’VE BEEN OVERWHELMED TO DONATIONS. SO WHAT ARE YOU ASKING PEOPLE TO DONATE RIGHT NOW? WHAT DO PEOPLE NEED RIGHT NOW? UM, SO WE’RE OVERWHELMED WITH A LOT OF CLOTHING AND LINEN. PEOPLE CAN STILL BRING NONPERISHABLE FOOD ITEMS ARE SO GOOD TO DONATE. MONETARY IS ALWAYS THE BEST, BUT IN MY OPINION I FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU DO KNOW SOMEBODY PERSONALLY HERE ON THE ON THE ISLAND OR IN THE STATE OF HAWAII, IT’S THAT’S THE BEST WAY TO GO SO THAT THEY CAN PERSONALLY GET TO WHO YOU WANT TO SERVE. UM, BUT YEAH, WE’RE, WE’RE AS A COMMUNITY, IT’S UNREAL. WE’RE SO GRATEFUL FOR ALL THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING TOO. FROM AFAR. IT’S SO AWESOME AND IT’S JUST WONDERFUL TO SEE EVERYBODY COME TOGETHER AND IN SUCH A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME, EVERYBODY. I MEAN, THERE IS A LOT, A LOT ALREADY HAS BEEN DONATED. SO MUCH, SO MUCH. JESSICA, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND ALL THE EFFORTS YOU’RE DOING. AND HOPEFULLY WE DIDN’T WAKE THE KIDS THIS EARLY IN THE MORNING. I KNOW WE’RE YOUR THREE HOURS BEHIND US, SO WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOU. NO PROBLEM. I’M SO GRATEFUL FOR YOU GUYS AND THANK YOU, MIKE, FOR ALL YOU DO. I KNOW YOU’RE A MAUI BOY, SO YOU KNOW, THANK YOU FOR TAKING CARE OF US FROM ALL THE WAY OVER THERE. SO GOD BLESS YOU ALL. MAHALO. ALOHA. AND WE WILL BE TAKING YOUR DONATION OVER THE PHONE UNTIL 1130 TONIGHT. KCRA 3 PARTNERING WITH THE AMERICAN RED CROSS. YOUR MONEY GOES DIRECTLY TO THOSE IN NEED. HERE’S THE NUMBER TO CALL IT. IS 855337 4487. YOU CAN ALSO USE YOUR PHONE TO SCAN THE QR CODE ON THE SCREEN. NOW, ONCE YOU GET TO THAT PAGE, YOU CAN DESIGNATE THE HAWAII WILDFIRES SPECIFICALLY. AGAI