Hurricane Lala floods The Sewing Hui studio; Help needed to rebuild and continue community programs

After six years of sewing for the Maui community, The Sewing Hui is asking for help following severe flooding from Hurricane Lala that damaged its sewing studio on Aug. 16, 2026.

During the storm, a large volume of water rushed down the hillside toward the property where The Sewing Hui has operated its approximately 1,600-square-foot sewing studio for the past three years. Water entered the building and flooded the studio, where volunteers gather to sew, teach classes, work on community projects, and create costumes and other items for Maui organizations.

The damage is extensive. Flooring, drywall, baseboards, and other building materials need to be removed and replaced, and professional remediation work is underway. Furniture, shelving, books, fabric, costumes, and other materials were also affected by the flood.

Current estimates put remediation, repairs, and replacement of damaged items at approximately $30,000. The hurricane-related damage is not covered by insurance.

“For the past six years, our focus has always been on what we can do for Maui,” said Jennifer Oberg, founder and director of The Sewing Hui. “Now we find ourselves in the position of needing help ourselves. What matters most to me is getting the studio back so we can continue the work we have committed to the community.”

Asking the Community for Help

A GoFundMe campaign, “Help Jennifer & The Sewing Hui Rebuild After Hurricane Lala,” has been organized by Sewing Hui Project Coordinator Yasmine Lindskog to help Jennifer Oberg and Craig Mullins repair their damaged property and restore the sewing studio.

The GoFundMe campaign is seeking assistance with the cost of professional water-damage remediation, removal and replacement of damaged flooring and walls, repairs to the flooded areas, restoration of the sewing studio, and cleaning or replacement of furniture, books, tools, supplies, fabric, costumes, and other items affected by the flood.

Donations can also be made directly to The Sewing Hui. Email thesewinghui@gmail.com for information on how to make a direct donation. 

For an organization accustomed to helping others, asking for help has not been easy.

“We have always believed in people working together,” Oberg said. “That is really the story of The Sewing Hui. Everything we’ve accomplished has happened because people have shown up and contributed whatever they could, whether that was their time, their sewing skills, materials, financial support, or simply a willingness to help. Right now, we’re hoping that same spirit will help us rebuild so we can get back to serving the community.”

The Sewing Hui hopes to return to doing what it has always done – bringing people together through sewing and putting those skills to work for Maui, Oberg said.

Six Years of Sewing for Maui

The Sewing Hui is a Maui-based nonprofit organization whose mission is to support the arts, culture, education, and community of Maui through sewing.

The organization grew out of the Maui Face Mask Project at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Volunteers came together to produce more than 10,000 high-quality filter masks for Maui healthcare providers during the critical early shortage of protective equipment.When the mask project ended, the volunteers wanted to keep sewing together and using their skills to help others. The Sewing Hui grew from that effort. For several years, Jennifer Oberg hosted the Sewing Hui out of her Makawao atelier on Baldwin Avenue.  When the Hui grew too large for the space, Jennifer and her husband Craig opened up their personal studio on their property in Haiku for the use of the Hui.

The organization and its volunteers have created and donated more than 34,000 sewn items, contributed more than 15,000 volunteer hours, and worked with more than 90 organizations throughout Maui.

Following the 2023 Maui wildfires, The Sewing Hui responded to the needs of people who had lost their homes and belongings. Among its efforts, the organization helped collect and distribute thousands of handmade pillowcases for displaced residents and provided sewing supplies to sewists and quilters who had lost their equipment and materials in the fires.

The Sewing Hui has also become deeply involved in Maui’s performing arts community, creating, altering, and coordinating costumes for local theater and dance organizations.  On the day of the flooding, costumes for Anastasia at Maui Academy of Performing Arts were in the studio, being readied for opening night. 

Another important part of the organization’s work is keeping usable clothing and textiles out of Maui’s landfill. Through sewing programs and community projects, participants learn how to mend, repair, alter, and repurpose clothing rather than throwing it away.

The organization’s Teddy Bear Project takes that idea even further. Textiles that are no longer suitable for clothing or other projects can be used as stuffing for large teddy bears, which are then donated to Maui schools and community organizations. The program has diverted thousands of pounds of textile waste while turning otherwise unusable material into something that can be enjoyed by children.

The Work Continues

Although the studio has been badly damaged, The Sewing Hui does not intend to stop its work.

The organization already has a number of community programs and projects planned, including organizing the Fiber Arts Show at the 2026 Maui County Fair.

The Sewing Hui helped bring back the Fiber Arts Show when the Maui County Fair returned in 2025 after a six-year absence. The show gives fiber artists throughout Maui County an opportunity to exhibit their work in sewing, quilting, knitting, crochet, weaving, needlework, and other fiber arts.

The organization also wants to continue expanding its sewing education programs.

The Sewing Hui’s Beginning Sewing classes are designed for people with little or no sewing experience. Participants learn basic skills including how to use and thread a sewing machine, sew seams, and complete simple projects.

The organization plans to continue these classes and develop intermediate sewing classes for people who are ready to build upon those skills. These classes are offered free to the public through grant funding, allowing people to learn to sew regardless of whether they can afford traditional sewing instruction.

The Sewing Hui also plans to continue its Sewing Sewcials, informal community sewing gatherings where participants can learn practical skills such as mending, repairing, and altering their own clothing. The program encourages people to extend the life of clothing they already own while developing useful sewing skills and reducing textile waste.

“These programs are why getting the studio back matters so much,” Oberg said. “It isn’t simply a room where we keep sewing machines. It’s where people come together to learn, volunteer, create, and make things for other people on Maui. We already have projects planned and commitments we want to honor. We don’t want this flood to stop that work.”

More information about its programs, classes, volunteer opportunities, and community projects is available at TheSewingHui.com.