ʻOhana Hope Village for Maui wildfire survivors gets donation; leaders laud project

A $50,000 donation was gifted to Family Life Center for Maui wildfire-relief efforts during check presentation Sunday. The funds, provided by South Korea’s Yoido Full Gospel Church will support the 88 unit ʻOhana Hope Village emergency housing project.

The project sits on land owned by King’s Cathedral and Chapels at the corner of Kūihelani and Maui Veterans highways. It is aimed at assisting displaced residents with shelter in the wake of the Aug. 8 wildfires.

“Supporting key projects such as ʻOhana Hope Village will be critical to meeting the immediate needs of our disaster response and can serve as a model for community resilience in the future,” said Maui Councilmember Thomas Cook, who chairs the Water and Infrastructure Committee. “My deepest mahalo to Yoido Full Gospel Church and King’s Cathedral for supporting the important work of our local nonprofits.”

Council Presiding Officer Pro Tempore Tasha Kama and Mayor Richard T. Bissen, Jr. were also in attendance.

In partnership with multiple organizations across the community, ʻOhana Hope Village provides temporary housing using high-quality materials and advanced safety features, according to Cook. Units may include multiple living spaces, private bathrooms, kitchens and screened lānai—all sourced and assembled locally.

“Family Life Center is so honored to receive this generous donation from the Yoido Full Gospel Church for the continued development of our mid-term housing project, ʻOhana Hope Village,” said Dr. Ashley Kelly, chief operating officer of Family Life Center. “We truly believe that this is more than a housing project; this is how we can begin to heal as a community.”

Cook said ʻOhana Hope Village will host a community-service week Feb. 19-24. Opportunities to volunteer are available in the areas of cleaning, decorating, moving furniture, painting, building planter boxes and landscaping. For more information, contact Family Life Center at 808-877-0880.