Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke

CNHA to operate distribution center, warehouse space provided by OHA

KAKA‘AKO, HAWAIʻI – Today, In coordination with Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA), the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement (CNHA) has opened the Maui Relief Storage Facility, a coordinated donation management center to receive, sort and inventory donations collected for Maui residents impacted by the wildfires and store them until they are ready to be transported and received on Maui. Located in Hakuone at Kaka‘ako Makai, the 30,000 square foot warehouse space is being provided by the OHA.

“Being Maui Strong means giving our Maui ʻohana the space they need to grieve and heal. Healing is a process — and while we’ve received tremendous support in donations, we want to be thoughtful and respectful to how we deploy resources to our Maui ʻohana,” said Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke. “Standing up this donation management center on Oʻahu with support from Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement in coordination with the Office of Hawaiian Affairs allows us to be ready to deploy what Maui needs, when they need it.”

OHA’s 30,000 square foot warehouse space, previously used as a shelter, is located at 200 Keawe Street.

“In the spirit of lōkahi we unite with Lt. Gov. Luke and CNHA in a coordinated effort to provide support in this time of crisis. The use of our warehouse for Maui relief efforts aligns with OHA’s plan to develop Hakuone in a way that improves the quality of life for Native Hawaiians and our local community,” stated Kalei Akaka, OHA O‘ahu Trustee. “We’re here to help. We’re here to serve our Hawaiian people. We stand committed to kōkua in efforts such as this.”

CNHA has selected the O‘ahu-based non-profit organization, Makana O Ke Akua to facilitate the management of both donated supplies and volunteers at the Maui Relief Storage Facility in support of the relief efforts. They will also provide coordination support between state, county and donation centers.

“Right now, there is so much need and our community has really stepped up in support of our Maui ‘ohana during this unimaginable tragedy,” said Kūhio Lewis, CEO of CNHA. “The MauiRelief Storage Facility will help to provide some structure and organization to the relief efforts and make it easier for the teams on the ground in Maui to get supplies to those who need it most.”

The Maui Relief Storage Facility on O‘ahu will work directly with Maui’s donation management center, that opened on Monday, Aug. 14, to ensure that relief supplies are coordinated and prioritized, and that what is needed on Maui is getting there as expeditiously as possible.

“It is all of our kuleana to step-up and do what it takes to help uplift the Maui community in their time of need,” added Lewis.

The Maui Relief Storage Facility is currently set-up to receive donations from coordinated relief efforts/drives across O‘ahu. Businesses, community organizations, churches, schools, etc. who are collecting and receiving large donations should call (808) 341-0622 to coordinate delivery. Once received at the facility, the donations will be sorted, inventoried, and stored until ready to be received on Maui and then transported. Unfortunately, the center is not able to accept drop-off donations at this time. Individuals wanting to donate much needed goods and supplies are encouraged to find a donation drive for Maui fire relief in their area.

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