#maui united way

First Hawaiian Bank today announced that bank employees and retirees have ushered in this year’s holiday giving season by contributing a donation of $873,987.53 to 36 charities in Hawai‘i, Guam, and Saipan as part of the bank’s annual Kōkua Mai employee giving campaign.

Maui United Way allocated over $12.7 million to individuals and organizations across Maui County. It also focused on long-term resilience, providing resources for mental health, education and recovery.

The 32nd annual Turkey & Rice Giveaway took place this past weekend in Lānaʻi City. Hosted by the Coon ‘Ohana of Trilogy Excursions, this tradition celebrates the season of gratitude, giving, and community connection.

The Maui Hotel & Lodging Association will distribute 5-pound bags of rice on Lānaʻi as part of its annual Rice for the Holidays event, Nov. 23. The program began in 2008 when MHLA partnered with Jim Coon of Trilogy Excursions in their annual giveaway of turkeys to island residents. MHLA joined in by adding the rice to go with each turkey.

A coalition of dedicated community leaders has announced the formation of the Hoʻōla iā Mauiakama Disaster Long Term Recovery Group, aimed at delivering ongoing recovery assistance to residents impacted by the August 2023 wildfire disaster.

Maui United Way has announced the launch of “Tools for Schools,” which provided $15,000 in gift cards for school supplies to local teachers and students, according to Maui United Way.

Maui United Way announced the launch of its Mā’ona Food Security Grant, a new initiative aimed at addressing the growing food insecurity challenges faced by residents of Maui County.

Today, Maui United Way announced that Jason Economou is now serving as President and CEO of the organization.  Economou is a local attorney and nonprofit professional with a long history of community service and philanthropy.

In August 1999 youth leader Joyce Kawakami accidentally founded a food program when she noticed some of her students were hungry and had no food at home. Despite sneaking groceries to these students to protect their privacy, they shared this act of kindness with other families in need who began coming for help also. Weekly food distributions became a regular part of life for the Kawakami family. Over 25 years Feed My Sheep grew from feeding six families to 350 families every week. 

With lots of places to climb, jump and slide, new playground equipment delivered something vitally important to keiki at King Kamehameha III Elementary School on Tuesday. And, that’s . . . fun!

Following a comprehensive search, Maui Food Bank has named Lisa Paulson as chief executive officer, effective Aug. 19, 2024. The appointment comes at a critical time as the organization addresses a 65% surge in food insecurity needs due to the recent Maui wildfires.

In partnership with Aloha United Way (AUW), Town Center of Mililani on Oʻahu hosts Mililani + Maui – United in Aloha: A Day of Lōkahi on Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024. The community can gather to mark the one-year commemoration of the Aug. 8 wildfires on Maui, the deadliest natural disaster in Hawaiʻi’s history. The center aims to honor the memory of this solemn day and acknowledge the resilience and unity of those affected. The day’s lineup will include donation collections, community resources, keiki activities and cultural entertainment. 

Through the generosity of longtime music industry veterans and global music icon, philanthropist Dolly Parton, Cavaliere is releasing “My Hawaiʻi,” with 100% of proceeds going to Maui United Way – Maui Fire Disaster Relief Fund that provides direct financial assistance to community members who experienced loss and devastation from the fires in Lahaina and Kula.

Maui County residents are worried, stressed by the islands’ high cost of living and four in 10 are considering giving up and moving away, according to interviews of 2,646 residents, including 1,105 directly impacted by the August 2023 wildfires.

Maui United Way has partnered with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Health and Human Services to bring free grant workshops to Maui. The series kicks off with a virtual “Grant Basics” workshop on Wednesday, July 24 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Workshops continue through Aug. 22, 2024.

Maui United Way has partnered with federal and state agencies to present a grant workshop series to local nonprofits, grassroots organizations and public/governmental employees to increase success when writing grants to help the people of Maui County.

Following the devastating wildfires in Lahaina, Starbucks baristas nominated nine local Maui nonprofits to receive Starbucks Neighborhood Grants totaling $24,000, with four focused on Lahaina rebuilding and recovery. 

On Wednesday, Maui United Way announced the seven local-Maui nonprofits who are recipients of their new ʻOhana Mental Health Grant — an effort to meet the ongoing mental health needs in the aftermath of the wildfires. 

The Sentry, alongside representatives from Sentry Insurance, announced today that more than a dozen Maui nonprofit organizations benefited from the 2024 event, which generated $735,694 in charitable funds. This marks the largest charitable donation to local organizations since the event moved to Maui in 1999.

American Savings Bank is proud to announce that its 2024 Kahiau Giving Campaign has raised $443,000. The charitable contribution will support five local nonprofits in their efforts to improve the quality of life for Hawaiʻi residents. More than 90% of ASB teammates participated in the annual workplace giving initiative, which began in 2011.