Maui Healing receives $3.6K in Rotary funding to support group therapy for women

Maui Healing has been awarded a $3,600 grant from the Rotary D5000 Foundation to support group therapy sessions for women affected by the 2023 wildfires. Led by licensed mental health professionals, the sessions aim to help women build resilience, develop coping skills and foster connections while empowering them to support their loved ones.

To improve accessibility, the sessions will be free, include lunch and allow women to bring their children, who will have access to both independent and interactive activities. Sessions will be held at the Lahaina Comprehensive Health Center, with future meetings planned across Maui and translation services available for some ethnic communities.

The initiative is a collaboration between the Rotary Club of Lahaina Sunset and Maui Healing, founded by Ailene Schwartzlow. According to organizers, the culturally responsive, strength-based approach prioritizes community well-being.

The grant was awarded by Rotary in Hawai’i, which includes approximately 1,500 Rotarians across 52 clubs on O’ahu, Maui, Kaua’i and Hawai’i Island. Rotary D5000 is part of a global network of 1.4 million Rotarians dedicated to fostering positive and enduring change locally and internationally. Maui is home to nine Rotary clubs. For more information about Maui Rotary clubs, contact Maui Island resource chair Joanne Laird at mamalrd01@gmail.com.