60,000 meals served in two weeks: Latest updates from Hawaiʻi
The Hawaiʻi wildfires ignited in mid-August and quickly became some of the most devastating to ever impact the United States. Blazes on Maui destroyed the heart of the coastal town of Lahaina, and cut off entire communities from power, water, and basic food supplies. WCK’s Relief Team arrived in Hawaiʻi two weeks ago and has since delivered more than 60,000 meals to families, mostly in West Maui, who have been heavily impacted by the fires.
Our Relief Team landed on Hawaiʻi’s Big Island and Maui as emergency crews worked around the clock to contain the flames. As we always do, WCK teams brought meals and water to provide immediate support to first responders.
Left: Chef Peter Abarcar Jr., who made delicious meals for firefighters on the Big Island. Right: Chef Sheldon Simeon (yellow shirt) and his father working in the kitchen together to support their community on Maui.
The Chefs
On both islands, we were able to begin providing meals quickly thanks to the support of WCK Chef Corps members. On the Big Island, we partnered with Chef Peter Abarcar Jr. to provide nourishing meals to first responders. The greatest need for meals here was among emergency crews, so our team was able to wind down once the flames were contained.
Destruction in West Maui was widespread and food needs acute. To ensure anyone in need received a meal, WCK began supporting Chef Hui and Common Ground Collective—two organizations who have worked within the Maui community for years. They assembled a group of Maui-based chefs to prepare thousands of hot meals out of the culinary school at University of Hawaiʻi Maui College. Our team was connected to this group by Amanda Corby, and Chefs Mark Noguchi and Sheldon Simeon who are all part of Chef Hui, as well as being WCK Chef Corps members.
Serving Meals
Before any outside support arrived on Maui, community members were showing up to help one another in any way they could. In Lahaina, neighbors began to meet at the Lahaina Gateway Center. So, to meet families where they were, we established a centralized meal distribution site at this location. Within days, the parking lot was full of resources: people could grab a free meal from WCK, receive medical assistance, and even get pet supplies. We also established distribution sites in the nearby communities of Napili and Kaanapali. People can stop by any of our three distribution sites to pick up lunch and dinner being prepared by the chefs working out of the Maui College kitchen.
Now, basic services like electricity are being restored and businesses are reopening. However, families on Maui are still in need of food. Even though some grocery stores on the west side of the island are now open, many people are still out of work or lost everything to the fires, and we want to ensure food is one thing they don’t have to worry about. To meet these needs, WCK’s teams are adapting new strategies and forging new partnerships.
Farmers Market
We have begun partnering with Maui-based organization Local Harvest to support their twice weekly farmers markets that have been a community mainstay for more than a decade. WCK teams are purchasing locally grown produce from Maui farmers that families can pick up at the markets for free. This ensures we get the best possible ingredients for community members who are now able to cook for themselves, while at the same time supporting farmers on the island impacted by the fires. Meanwhile, dozens of WCK volunteers will be using ingredients supplied by Common Ground Collective to put together produce boxes that will be given out at our meal distribution sites.
Field Kitchen
Also starting this week, we are establishing a WCK Field Kitchen where our team will cook thousands of meals daily. This kitchen will be closer to Lahaina—where the biggest community need is—and it will free up the culinary school for students set to start a new academic year in the coming weeks. The meals we cook will continue to be provided to families in West Maui at our distribution sites and delivered door-to-door in cases where people cannot leave their homes.
We are working hard to stay connected with the Maui community and understand how WCK can best help to support them. No two days are alike, but thanks to the outstanding chefs and volunteers working with our teams, we are able to continue doing our part to be there for people in need.
Before and after: one day of construction to build the shell of our Field Kitchen.
Learn more about our efforts here. For real-time updates, follow WCK on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Help us keep providing meals on Maui by making a donation here.
