YouthLine Hawaiʻi awarded funding to expand youth mental health support on Maui

The Maui Recovery Funders Collaborative has awarded YouthLine Hawaiʻi $100,000 for youth mental health services. The award includes $50,000 from the Maui United Way and $50,000 from Kaiser Permanente and is part of the ongoing efforts to increase access to mental health resources for individuals and families directly affected by the 2023 Maui Wildfires.

This funding follows an initial $100,000 grant from the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation that was pivotal in helping Lines for Life launch YouthLine Hawaiʻi last year.

The additional investments will strengthen YouthLine Hawai‘i’s locally staffed and culturally responsive peer-to-peer crisis support services for young people as the community works to strengthen support for keiki affected by wildfire trauma, loss, and ongoing recovery challenges in Maui County.

“Partners across Maui are determined to build stronger mental health and wellness for young people across the county, and YouthLine is honored to be a part of this vitally important work,” said Dwight Holton, CEO of Lines for Life, which is home to the YouthLine. “This investment helps YouthLine Hawai’i reach more young people across Maui, Molokai, and Lānaʻi and enables YouthLine Hawai‘i to expand meaningful connection, support, and resilience-building resources for youth and young adults during critical stages of emotional recovery.”

The Maui Recovery Funders Collaborative brings together local and national funders to align support for priority community needs, including behavioral health, youth well-being, and culturally grounded services. While the collaborative does not provide direct services, it coordinates grantmaking efforts to ensure strategic investments reach organizations deeply embedded in the community.

With this support, YouthLine Hawai‘i will:

• Expand peer-to-peer crisis support services for Maui youth impacted by the wildfires.
• Strengthen local staffing and volunteer engagement.
• Provide ongoing outreach, education, and community partnership opportunities.
• Support schools and youth-serving organizations with mental health awareness and resilience programming.

“YouthLine Hawai‘i’s participation in the Maui Recovery Funders Collaborative reflects the shared belief youth mental health is central to community healing,” said Emily Moser, YouthLine program director. “By working together with funders and community partners, we can help young people feel seen, heard, and supported as Maui continues to rebuild.”