Months After the Wildfire, Convoy Helps Make a Hawaiian House a Home

In August of last year, deadly wildfires raged through Maui, Hawaii. Houses, neighborhoods, and entire communities were decimated. Thousands of acres burned. More than 100 people lost their lives. Thousands of families lost their homes. 

After the fires, people from towns like Lahaina were forced to take shelter in hotels, friends’ homes, and even tents. Nine months after the fires, families still grapple with displacement.

Single mom Shantal has moved seven times since the fires. Her rental home in Lahaina was completely consumed. With a young son in his toddler years and a baby due in June, Shantal needed a stable place to call home — a luxury in a community left in ashes. 

Convoy of Hope partnered with FEMA and two local furniture stores — BedMart and HomeWorld — to furnish the FEMA-provided rental homes for those left displaced in Maui. 

In April, Shantal moved into her permanent rental. After months of instability, she could take a breath, stay in one place, and prepare for her baby. 

Convoy of Hope provided beds, a baby crib, dressers, a dining table and chairs, and a couch for Shantal’s new home.

“I am extremely grateful beyond words for your generosity and kindness,” Shantal said. “Thank you for this huge blessing.”

When it comes to disaster response and recovery, Convoy of Hope is in it for the long haul. Following the fires, Convoy deployed team members to distribute relief supplies and meet survivors’ immediate needs. 

In December, Convoy partnered with King’s Cathedral to host a special event, where everyone who attended received groceries, baby items, and hygiene supplies, and every child received a toy just in time for Christmas. 

Now, Convoy is providing furniture for survivors’ new homes so they not only have a roof over their head, but a bed to sleep in, a table to eat at, and simple seating to make their house feel like a home.