My Journey

My interview

For my interview I didn’t have one set mentor, rather I had asked and reached out to about twelve different mentors and organizations. I did this as they were helpful for all my different boxes, research, and needs. They all care and love Hawaii but have different knowledge about the needs and information about it. During all of my interviews, I learned different ways to help the Maui fire victims and awareness of the Native Hawaiian culture!

How can you help the Lahaina Fire victims?

As there has been an overwhelming amount of help and donations from millions of people, there’s always more that could be needed. Money is one of the biggest needs, as it is estimated that it will cost 5.5 billion dollars to rebuild from the Lahaina Fires. As not everyone may want to donate money, there are many other options. Clothes are no longer being asked for, but things like nonperishable food items, water, hand washing stations, water totes, outdoor sinks, portable and stationary charging devices, batteries, wheelchairs, and tents. Along with that if you live in Maui, you can always volunteer, there are endless opportunities to do so! Multiple of the organizations I had talked with all support a specific group of people as well, they said that if there was something specific you’d want to donate, look for an organization or a charity supporting that.

What is the Native Hawaiian homelessness crisis?

Hawaii has one of the highest rates of homelessness per capita in the United States, and a disproportionate number of the homeless population in Hawaii is comprised of Native Hawaiians. There are many factors that contribute to the number of homeless

Some include:

High Cost of Living: Hawaii’s cost of living is higher than any other state in the U.S., making it difficult for many people to afford housing

Lack of Affordable Housing: There are not enough affordable housing options in Hawaii to meet the need and demand. The state has notably struggled to provide enough housing, particularly affordable housing, for its residents.

Economic Factors: Many Native Hawaiians are unemployed or underemployed, living in poverty. Jobs in Hawaii can and are often tourism-based and seasonal, which are often unstable and unreliable.

As there are many more reasons and factors for this problem, these are three of the main ones.

How to be respectful while visiting Hawai’i

There are endless things you can do, to make sure to be respectful while visiting, one of the main things is to be respectful to the Nature and land there as it is their home. Make sure to know if you’re on sacred grounds or private property. Research your plans before going making sure it’s okay to go there. Make sure to follow the laws, like not leaving trash or walking on coral reefs, as it can be extremely damaging to the environment. Another thing to keep in mind is to try to support local businesses, and shops rather than big chain stores, as it will help the economy. Also, be respectful of their culture and customs. Try to learn some of their language, then don’t mimic or make fun of their language or accent as it may be viewed as rude.

Thank you!

Thank you to all of my mentors and those who helped me, I am extremely grateful. You all helped me learn more knowledge about my project and the needs of different victim groups!