Rotary D5000 Foundation, Maui Fires Relief Fund offers laundry service at Puʻuhonua o Nēnē shelter

The Rotary Club of Lahaina Sunset successfully secured a $7,200 grant from the Rotary D5000 Foundation Maui Fires Relief Fund to provide six months of laundry service for the Puʻuhonua o Nēnē shelter in Central Maui.

With approximately 140 residents currently residing at Puʻuhonua, many of whom were previously unsheltered on West Maui before the devastating Lahaina Fires, the need for clean clothing is crucial. Due to the lack of running water at the shelter, the Maui Rescue Mission (MRM) had been providing laundry service once a week, but due to the overwhelming demand, they recently increased it to twice a week.

MRM collects clothing early in the morning and can complete around 25-30 loads in a day. The clothes are then taken to a laundromat for washing, drying, and folding before being returned to the residents on the same day. This process requires constant effort and at least two people, including an MRM staff member.

The total cost for this bi-weekly service over a six-month period amounts to $7,200, covering the expenses for the laundromat facilities. The partnership between the Rotary Club of Lahaina Sunset, Maui Rescue Mission, and Project Vision Hawaiʻi/Puʻuhonua o Nēnē has been instrumental since the shelter’s inception in September 2023. Previous projects at Puʻuhonua have been supported by Rotary International Disaster Relief grants and D5000 Foundation Fire Relief Funds.

Rotary Club of Lahaina Sunset member Katie Zimmerman, who volunteers regularly at the shelter, played a key role in identifying the need for continued funding for the laundry service. Thanks to her initiative, the proposal was submitted to the Maui Fires Advisory Committee and subsequently approved and funded by the Rotary D5000 Foundation Fire Relief effort. The collaboration between these organizations has been essential in serving Maui’s unhoused community, especially those who were previously left homeless by the fires.

According to Scott Hansen, Executive Director of Maui Rescue Mission, “Clean laundry is a dignifying and essential resource for our friends in housing transition, promoting health while fostering confidence and hope.”