(BIVN) – Hawaiʻi County led convoys of supplies into the storm-ravaged district of Kaʻū on Tuesday. Truckloads of ice, water, and other essential supplies were delivered to impacted communities.
The County says the supplies were donated by community members and local businesses and were trucked in by volunteers in coordination with the County of Hawai‘i and nonprofit organizations.
“We recognize the need around the island, and the County of Hawai‘i is leading a coordinated effort to meet those needs with tremendous support from our community organizations and volunteers,” said Mayor Kimo Alameda, who was on the ground helping with the distribution effort. “Our initial focus was on communities with the most complicated access issues, and we are continuing to assess needs and direct resources wherever they are needed.”
From the County of Hawaiʻi:
The convoys, escorted by the Police Department, are a continuation of relief efforts and the distribution of aid that has been underway in the aftermath of the storm, which has included the airlifting of supplies into Wood Valley by the Hawai‘i Fire Department and the establishment of Points of Distribution (PODS) in coordination with nonprofit organizations.
Hawai‘i County Civil Defense’s human services branch is coordinating with Vibrant Hawaiʻi and other community partners to distribute supplies at PODS at locations around the island. For the locations of the PODS and hours, visit the Vibrant Hawaii website: vibranthawaii.org/lala.
Requests for Assistance
If you have been impacted by the storm and need assistance, please submit a Request for Assistance at bit.ly/vh-rfa. Completing the form will help direct resources to community needs.
Donations
Those who want to make donations of supplies, call the Vibrant Hawai‘i Coordination Line at 802-365-1808.
Monetary donations can be made to the Hawai‘i Island Strong Fund established by the Hawai‘i Community Foundation at hawaiiislandstrong.org.
