Second Federal Resource Fair slated in Lahaina | News, Sports, Jobs

U. S. Rep. Jill Tokuda from Hawaii’s 2nd District said, “ We are Maui Strong! We will pull together and rebuild, and I will be with you every step of the way.” PHOTO COURTESY OF JILL TOKUDA.

LAHAINA — On Saturday, Aug. 26, the offices of U.S. Representative Jill Tokuda from Hawaii’s 2nd District, and U.S. Senator Mazie Hirono will hold a second Federal Resource Fair for those impacted by the Maui wildfires.

The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Lahaina Civic Center Gymnasium at 1840 Honoapaiilani Highway. Tokuda, Hirono and their staff will be on-site with a group of federal, state and county agencies to help residents who have lost personal documents in the fires or need assistance with housing, health care or other services.

“The destruction of the community and stories of loved ones lost or still waiting to be found are devasting,” said Tokuda. “We will continue to support the Maui community as resources are mobilized to assist survivors. The road ahead to recovery will be long and challenging, but our communities are tough. We will pull together, help each other, and we will rebuild!”

Staff will also provide ongoing direct support for everyone to ensure that their individual issues are fully resolved in an expedited manner. Participating agencies include:

• FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency), for disaster aid;

• The Social Security Administration, for Social Security and federal documents replacement;

• The State Department, for passport replacement;

• United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, for immigration support;

• Department of Housing and Urban Development, for housing assistance;

• Department of Health, for adult mental health services and state documents replacement, including birth certificates and marriage licenses;

• U.S. Postal Service, for mail services;

• Veterans Affairs Pacific Island Health Care System, for health care support;

• Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, for bank programs and insurance information;

• Small Business Administration, for small business support;

• Hawaii Disability Rights Center, for legal and advocacy services;

• Department of Human Services, for Medicaid and SNAP;

• Maui Economic Opportunity, for housing assistance;

• The County of Maui;

• Maui Red Cross;

• Maui United Way.

Those who cannot attend can request individual assistance on Tokuda’s website at tokuda.house.gov, or call the Hawaii District Office at (808) 746-6220.

A shuttle service will provide transportation to the resource fair for residents staying at the following Red Cross shelter hotels: Honua Kai, Royal Lahaina, Kaanapali Beach Hotel, Westin Maui (Kaanapali) and the Hyatt hotel (Kaanapali). The shuttle will begin circulation at 10 a.m.

Those displaced can obtain hotel housing provided through a FEMA program that the Red Cross is administering under a contract with the State of Hawaii. To qualify for hotel shelters, applicants must first register with FEMA. This can be done at a joint Disaster Recovery Center that operates daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the University of Hawaii Maui College, 310 W. Kaahumanu Avenue, Pilina Building, Kahului. Displaced individuals can also visit www. fema.gov/disaster/4724, call (800) 621-3362 or apply through the FEMA smartphone application (App@fema.dhs.gov).

FEMA specialists are also helping people register for disaster assistance, connect with volunteer organizations and get access to federal and state resources.

The State Department of Human Services announced an additional 250 Air BnB units are available to displaced residents or families on Maui for 21-day stays. Go to Lahaina Gateway Center, Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., to pre-register.

Maui Strong, an online, centralized hub to respond to the impacts of the Maui wildfire disaster, is available at mauistrong.info. The site offers information on how to donate, volunteer, offer services, and locate support. It is administered through the county’s Office of Economic Development and will be utilized to connect people to resources and services.

For an additional questions, or to talk to a county representative regarding the Maui Wildfire Disaster, call (808) 270-7285.