Kaipo Kekona, chair and board executive committee member of Hoʻōla LTRG, speaks during the group’s strategic planning session focused on recovery and rebuilding. Photo courtesy BKR LLC

With a $760,528 grant from the Maui Strong Fund of the Hawai’i Community Foundation, the Hoʻōla iā Mauiakama Long Term Recovery Group will launch a new volunteer program to rebuild housing.

According to the group, the funding will support critical recovery infrastructure to launch a volunteer homebuilding program that will help close major funding gaps for families unable to rebuild on their own, in addition to expanding disaster recovery operations and enhancing the coordination of direct services for affected families by the 2023 Maui wildfires.

According to the group, the new program will include startup costs for construction coordination and volunteer housing while rebuilding five homes at first. With that, the goal is to establish a foundation for a scalable model that can deliver 10-20 homes annually.

“This grant from the Hawai’i Community Foundation is more than a contribution — it’s a catalyst,” said Rhonda Alexander-Monkres, executive director of Hoʻōla iā Mauiakama. “We’re building homes, partnerships, and pathways to healing. With HCF’s support, our community can move forward with grace and gratitude. It’s a testament to the power of unity and the unwavering hope we share for Maui’s future.”

Through an 18-month lease from the Catholic Diocese of Honolulu, Hoʻōla Maui and its field partner, Mennonite Disaster Service plan to convert two fire-surviving buildings at Sacred Hearts School in Lahaina into volunteer sleeping quarters with an outdoor kitchen and showers.

The Hoʻōla LTRG Board, Advisory Board and community partners gathered for a full-day strategic planning session to align on recovery plans and strengthen community support. Facilitated by Kuʻulani Keohokalole, CEO of People Strategies Hawaiʻi, the group worked to find solutions rooted in collaboration. Photo courtesy BKR LLC

The group says homeowners are being selected through the Hoʻōla Rebuild Coalition, a collaboration between Hawaiʻi Community Lending, Habitat for Humanity Maui, Lahaina Community Land Trust and Hoʻōla LTRG.

The coalition can also offer recovery planning by helping leverage grants, vendor discounts, donated materials, volunteer labor and professional construction management services, according to Hoʻōla iā Mauiakama.

At the same time, Hoʻōla LTRG leads the Disaster Case Management Coalition, which brings together a growing network of case managers from Roots Reborn, Hawaiʻi Community Lending, Kaibigan ng Lahaina, and Hoʻōla Maui’s own team.

Seventeen case managers currently participate in ongoing training, receive peer support and utilize shared tools to deliver coordinated and compassionate care to wildfire survivors.

To ensure that families with complex or urgent needs are not left behind, Hoʻōla Maui also facilitates a coordinated funder roundtable, which allows philanthropic partners to hear directly from case managers about specific gaps in support and act as a last-stop recovery resource when conventional options are unavailable.

“The Maui Strong Fund is focused on investing in trusted, community-rooted partners who are ready to move recovery forward with care and coordination,” said Keanu Lau Hee, senior director of the Maui Recovery Effort at the Hawai’i Community Foundation. “Hoʻōla iā Mauiakama’s strong partnerships, and commitment to collaboration reflect the kind of capacity and alignment needed to help families not just rebuild, but recover with dignity.”

Construction is expected to begin in October. For more, go to www.mauilongtermrecovery.org.