#Maui TANF

The Hawaiʻi Department of Human Services will limit new applications to the Maui Relief Program to households with dependent children under 18 beginning Aug. 1 as state disaster relief funding for the program nears exhaustion, the agency announced.

Maui Economic Opportunity would like 2023 wildfire survivors to be aware that short- and long-term rental assistance for up to four months may be available through the Maui Relief TANF Program/Maui Relief Program for Wildfire Disaster Survivors.  

Maui Economic Opportunity CEO Debbie Cabebe was honored with the Human Resources Volunteer Service Award at the Society for Human Resource Management Hawaiʻi Conference & Expo last month for her work with individuals and families impacted by the 2023 wildfires. 

The reach of the Maui Relief TANF Program, which assists residents directly impacted by the 2023 wildfires, has expanded to include households without dependent children and noncitizens following additional funding from the State of Hawaiʻi. The program run by Maui Economic Opportunity in partnership with the state Department of Human Services began operating in the […]

Aloha United Way (AUW) is responding to a dramatic increase in calls to its 211 statewide helpline following public announcements about the Hawaiʻi Relief Program and the Hawaiʻi Emergency Food Assistance Program (HEFAP). 211 normally handles about 150 calls a day, but that number skyrocketed to over 850 contacts (calls, texts and chats) in one day from residents looking for resources and information.

Maui Economic Opportunity earned The Founders’ Award from the advisory, audit and accounting firm SAX. The first place finish came with a $20,000 gift, according to the announcement, made on Thursday.

The Disaster Stabilization Grant provides up to $25,000 in direct financial support to Maui wildfire survivors to assist with their unmet needs for housing, utilities, transportation, home restoration and health care costs. 

New benefits, including funds for a new refrigerator, washer, stove and microwave, and increased assistance limits highlight the beginning of the second year of the Maui Relief TANF Program that supports those impacted by the Maui wildfires.

On Aug, 8, 2023, strong winds drove wildfires out of control on Maui– resulting in the worst natural disaster in Hawaiʻi’s history and one of the worst American wildfires of the last century. Nearly all of the town of Lahaina was destroyed, and Kula was significantly damaged. 3,971 properties, including homes, businesses, and schools were destroyed. The property damage was estimated to be as high as $6 billion. A staggering 102 lives were lost.  The Hawaiʻi Department of Human Services has since released a One Year of Progress: Recovery and Healing from the Maui Wildfires report.

Head Start Family Case Manager Abegael Hernandez and Maui Relief TANF Program Manager Monni Nash and were named Maui Economic Opportunity Employees of the Month for February and March, respectively, for their care and empathy with the families and individuals they help.

Maui Economic Opportunity (MEO) received $475,000, the bulk of the funding, which will be used to supplement the Maui Fires Relief Program, the Maui Relief TANF program and the County of Maui Rental Assistance program.   Ka Hale Pōmaikaʻi on Molokaʻi was also awarded $15,000 for their KHP Housing Kōkua program.  Together, they anticipate helping approximately 50 families totaling well over 100 individuals.  Maui United Way received a 2% commission for helping to manage the process and award the monies. 

The Office of Gov. Josh Green has released ‘The Hawai‘i We Deserve’ policy report, which is presented as a comprehensive outline of the Green Administration’s plans to confront key issues facing the state of Hawai‘i.

Maui County residents impacted by the Aug. 8 wildfires who relocated to Kaua‘i, O‘ahu or Hawai‘i Island may apply for the Maui Relief TANF Program for families with dependent children through Community Action Programs on those islands.

The Maui Relief TANF Program has provided an array of assistance – from housing to clothing – to more than 450 families with children and about 1,700 individuals impacted by the Aug. 8 wildfires in the two months since the program began.

An outreach event to reach noncitizen families with dependent children, who could be eligible for Maui Relief TANF Program benefits, will be held from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 10, in Lahaina.

The Compacts of Free Association or “COFA” Community Resource Fair, which features wildfire relief program information and signups and assistance with legal and immigration issues, will be held today, Friday, Dec. 1, from 1 to 6 p.m. at Maui Economic Opportunity in Wailuku.

Families with dependent children in their household, directly and indirectly impacted by the wildfires and earning less than 350% of the poverty level (which for a family of four is $120,750 annually) are eligible for the benefits.