Kaibigan ng Lahaina distributes $1,000 financial assistance awards to wildfire survivors

Kaibigan ng Lahaina concluded its Tagumpay Pondo project in early July, providing $128,000 to wildfire survivors.

The nonprofit organization dedicated to the recovery and resilience of Filipino and immigrant wildfire survivors distributed one-time, $1,000 financial assistance awards to eligible applicants from February through early July.

The word “Tagumpay” refers to the Tagalog words for “victory” or “overcome.” The moniker captures the fund’s aim to assist wildfire survivors in their path toward victory. To be eligible, applicants needed to verify that they were impacted by the 2023 Lahaina wildfires and demonstrate financial need. The awards were intended to cover personal expenses living expenses, medical bills, rebuilding, car payments, debt and loans. 

“We’ve found that many of our community members are working-class families who either lack sufficient insurance coverage or do not qualify for traditional social services,” said Sieny Corpuz, director of Community Operations at Kaibigan ng Lahaina. “While these awards are not a long-term solution, they provide essential immediate relief to those who are struggling to get back on their feet.”

Kaibigan ng Lahaina accepted more than 200 applications from fire survivors, which reflected the need for direct financial assistance.

“The tides of recovery are ever changing, posing new and recurring challenges for many of Lahaina’s survivor families,” said Eric Arquero, executive director of the nonprofit. “We anticipate that, as the resiliency needs of the community continue to change, we will see greater requests for financial assistance. Our hope in administering this program was to provide temporary relief but also inspire long-term hope for our community.”

Tagumpay Pondo was funded by a grant from the American Red Cross and administered in partnership with Maui United Way. Although the organization has temporarily closed the fund for awards, Kaibigan ng Lahaina intends to search for more donations to continue this financial assistance program.

To learn more about Kaibigan ng Lahaina or to inquire about services, visit www.kaibigannglahaina.org, email info@kaibigannglahaina.org, leave a text/voicemail with ‪803-999-6761‬, follow @kaibigannglahaina on Facebook, and/or subscribe to @kaibigan_ng_lahaina on Instagram.