Common Ground Collective receives $155,000 for Maui Emergency Feeding Taskforce

The Maui Strong Fund of the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation has awarded a $155,000 grant to the Maui Emergency Feeding Taskforce, a grassroots community effort coordinated by Common Ground Collective.

Born in the aftermath of the devastating Aug. 8 Lahaina and Upcountry wildfires, the Maui Emergency Feeding Taskforce addresses food insecurity, which was reaching crisis levels the blazes destroyed more than 2,000 structures, mostly homes. Despite the severity and scale of the disaster, most of Maui’s early feeding efforts were organized by grassroots community organizers and local nonprofits.

“Access to food is a vital factor in building resilient communities,” said Micah Kāne, chief executive officer and president of Hawaiʻi Community Foundation. “The Maui Emergency Feeding Taskforce and its partners played an integral role feeding families immediately after the wildfires, and it has not lost sight of its mission since. We are proud to support MEFT as it continues to feed Maui’s communities and works to improve food security for Maui’s future.”

The taskforce, which has been meeting multiple times a month since its inception, includes community hub leaders, local businesses, restaurants, chefs and nonprofits. The collaborative has worked to build a network of support for organizers and groups who’ve spent the last six months feeding Maui. The group has also begun drafting community plans to strengthen the local food system and more quickly respond to residents’ needs during future crises.

“I am extremely grateful to HCF for supporting the Maui Emergency Feeding Taskforce,” said Jennifer Karaca, Common Ground Collective executive director. “Many community members affected by fires are falling through the cracks and are not being provided with shelter or supplies. However, thanks to various local nonprofits, restaurants, chefs, farmers and community hubs, many of these folks have been able to find crucial food, hot meals, local produce and basic necessities. We are thankful that HCF recognizes this taskforce’s mission to ensure that we close the gaps not only for this emergency, but for all disasters in the future.”

Besides meeting the immediate needs of Maui’s displaced families, thousands of whom are still living in hotel rooms without kitchens to cook, the taskforce will focus on developing institutional infrastructure and community connections that will help build food independence and resilience in Maui County.

Some of the goals outlined by the taskforce include: 

• Mapping governmental and community responses to understand gaps, overlap in service areas and landscape of current response efforts.
• Opening lines of communication with non-governmental organizations, state and federal agencies and community partners to ensure adequate information is being shared to meet short-, mid- and long-term emergency food needs. 
• Seeking solutions that aim to overcome supply chain issues, funding shortfalls or a lack of organizational bandwidth and instead strengthen the local food system. 

To learn more about the Maui Emergency Feeding Taskforce, visit eftformaui.org or commongroundcollective.com.

As of Jan. 26, the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation has awarded $87.5 million from its Maui Strong Fund to more than 150 organizations. The foundation partners with emergency response groups to raise funds and deliver help to those in need.