After a disaster, people often come together to support survivors. Communities hit by disasters rely on this support in every stage of recovery. The devastating Hawaii wildfires left a trail of destruction, causing immense loss and tragedy. Whether you are an individual or a business, your help today and throughout the response is instrumental in supporting this community as they rebuild.
When helping survivors, it’s important to follow guidelines to make the most of your contributions. Whether you are a business looking to contract with FEMA or an individual hoping to help support survivors, these guidelines will help ensure that contributions reach those in need, providing both immediate relief and long-term recovery assistance.
1 - Donate Cash
Financial contributions to recognized disaster relief organizations are the fastest, most flexible and most effective method of donating.
Local and national Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters (VOADs) provide emergency assistance to survivors. Those seeking to donate to the recovery efforts can do so by visiting hawaiistatevoad.org.
Cash donations allow these organizations to address urgent or emerging needs quickly. When you donate cash, it also moves through the economy of the affected areas. Supplies are purchased from local sources and local people are paid to help rebuild. This type of cash flow helps the economy recover more quickly.
While you may wish to donate in other ways, remember that unsolicited goods may fail to meet the needs of disaster survivors. Sending other donations to affected areas can also complicate the jobs of staff, who now have to sort through these unsolicited goods instead of helping the community. Check to see what might be needed and where before you send supplies.
Your cash donations to organizations such as the American Red Cross have helped to distribute more than 25,000 meals and snacks to responders. The American Red Cross has also responded to more than 1,300 requests to help families locate missing loved ones.
2 - Volunteer Your Time
Another great way to help is to volunteer with an organization of your choice. Do not self-deploy to disaster areas. Trusted organizations operating in the affected areas know where volunteers are needed and can help find the best place for you to lend your efforts based on safety and your training and skills.
FEMA Voluntary Agency Liaisons (VALs) build relationships and coordinate efforts with voluntary, faith-based, philanthropic, and whole-community partners who can help communities recover from disasters.
For opportunities to volunteer in Hawaii wildfire affected areas, visit these state-specific sites:
3 - Get Your Business Involved
When FEMA responds to a disaster, our goal is to contract with local businesses in the affected area, whenever practical and feasible. FEMA has a four-step process for business interested in supporting a disaster response effort. That four-step process and a list of commodities that we commonly need can be found at Doing Business with FEMA.
Before starting the process to become a contractor with FEMA, review our list of most needed items to find areas where you can make the biggest impact. For more information, send an email with “CUSI Information Request” in the subject line to FEMA-Industry@fema.dhs.gov. A program representative will respond if there is a potential basis to do business.
The road to recovery in Hawaii will be long and challenging. We are committed to providing ongoing support to affected communities and encourage individuals and businesses to remain engaged and continue their support as we work together to rebuild lives and communities.
Together, we can work to restore hope and build a resilient future for Hawaii.