Watering of the Lāhainā Banyan Tree (photo courtesy the Hawaiʻi Dept. of Land and Natural Resources)

(BIVN) – Hawaiʻi County plans to aid local organizations in the storage of physical goods for Maui residents following the deadly and destructive fires that destroyed Lāhainā and left at least 106 people dead, at last official count.

From a County news release:

The Hawaiʻi County Task Force for Maui Recovery Assistance aims to aid local organizations in coordinating the storage and shipping of physical goods for Maui residents impacted by recent fires. This initiative addresses concerns raised by various groups and individuals who have organized resource drives in recent days and encountered shipping backlogs, leading to storage challenges.

The Task Force’s goal in this endeavor is to help optimize the collection, storage, and distribution of physical goods to assist affected Maui residents. An online form has been created to enable organizations to provide a detailed inventory of items for shipment or storage. These inventories will help assess Task Force capacity and enhance coordination among stakeholders, reducing duplication and enhancing efficiency.

Working alongside dedicated partners, the Task Force has identified suitable temporary storage locations and is coordinating item collection in key regions, namely East, West, and North Hawaiʻi.

Organizations encountering shipping or storage issues are requested to complete the form available here.

The Task Force wants to remind the community that Maui’s recovery will be a marathon, not a sprint. Continued inundation of physical goods to Maui will prolong their ability to intake and disseminate goods effectively.

Residents looking to assist Maui at this time are asked to refer to the Task Force’s previously issued guidance that can be found on the Hawaiʻi County website.