120 West Maui households to receive zero-cost rain catchment systems via Hua Momona Foundation

The Hua Momona Foundation, a nonprofit spearheading recovery and long-term resilience efforts following the 2023 Lahaina wildfires, officially announces the Rain to Resilience program, an initiative providing 120 West Maui households with hands-on training and equipment to install rain catchment systems at their homes through a grant from the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation.

These renter-friendly, portable rain-catchment systems are designed to foster backyard food production and mitigate stress on freshwater systems, aligning with County and MEFT recovery recommendations. 

After completing a four-week workshop, households are outfitted with zero-cost catchment kits consisting of rain barrels, irrigation components, detailed instruction manuals, soil amendments, and planting materials. Unlike permanent underground irrigation systems, these modular systems can be dismantled and reinstalled if relocation becomes necessary, as many Maui County residents recover from the 2023 wildfire.

Rain to Resilience launches under The Lahaina Innovation & Arts Center, a community-centered initiative of HMF created to bring inventors, artists, educators, entrepreneurs, students, and community partners together to exchange knowledge and develop ideas that can benefit Maui County and Hawaiʻi. 

HMF also marked another major milestone this July, surpassing 30 tons of produce distributed and 100,000 hot, ready-to-eat meals served to Maui County residents through its Farm to Table program since Aug. 8, 2023. In partnership with Hua Momona Farms, the program supports Maui’s local food system by donating fresh produce, working with partner farms, coordinating volunteers, and preparing and distributing hot meals at community distribution points.

Another initiative of HMF and LIAC is the Hua Momona Youth Programs, including a music program which has welcomed approximately 43 young Maui musicians across two cohorts, with an average of 10 participants joining each week. The program connects participants with renowned artists, including Billy Cox, Bernard Fowler, Darryl Jones, and John Cruz, who provide mentorship and help foster the next generation of Maui-based musicians.

The foundation also just wrapped the inaugural RISE Maui: Regeneration, Innovation, and Sustainability Experience (Aug. 17–21) and third annual Maui Music & Food Experience (Aug. 21–22) at Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa, bringing innovators, cultural leaders, musicians, chefs and the Maui community together for a week centered around sustainability, creativity and aloha.

RISE Maui highlights included a keynote from AI and climate expert Dr. Sasha Luccioni; an innovation conversation co-moderated by Star Trek Executive Producer Rod Roddenberry and HMF founder Gary Grube; discussions featuring inventor Jason Resch, Tufts University Professor Matthias Scheutz, Hawaiian cultural expert W. Kamaunu Kahaialii, UMass Amherst Professor Jun Yao and others. HMF offered RISE Maui fellowships, which provided complimentary summit access to individuals whose work demonstrates a commitment to regeneration, innovation, and sustainability.

This year’s fellows include Suntana Villanueva, a Native Hawaiian farmer advancing regenerative agriculture and local food security, and Prof. Alan Tratner, a longtime environmental innovator, inventor, and educator who helped establish Earth Day. 

The MMFE lineup featured 3 Pounds of Kalo, John Cruz, Taimane, LOS LOBOS and more, alongside a culinary program celebrating the flavors of the islands, curated by Hua Momona Farms’ Chef Zach Laidlaw and featuring Maui-born chefs Taylor Ponte of Aurum, Alvin Savella of Coco Deck and more. 

Together, the events welcomed 1,200 guests and raised $150,000 to support HMF’s ongoing work across Maui.