Live Updates
🎄✨ GINGERBREAD DECORATING PARTY – EVENT RECAP! ✨🎄
Our holiday Gingerbread Decorating Party at the YMCA West Side Resource Center was a huge success — a full house, joyful energy, and smiling families everywhere! The room was filled with laughter, creativity, and sweet holiday spirit as keiki and parents decorated their gingerbread houses together.
A heartfelt mahalo to:
💜 Imua Maui Community Healing Initiative – for providing the grant that made this beautiful community event possible.
🏡 YMCA of Maui – for generously hosting us and welcoming our families into their space.
💛 The GEM Hawai‘i team – for managing the entire event seamlessly and ensuring everything ran smoothly from start to finish.
📲 Ola Maui - for community outreach and comms support
The photos and videos say it all — happy keiki, happy families, and a truly unforgettable afternoon of connection and celebration.
We are grateful to everyone who joined us and helped make this event so special.
Stay tuned for more community events coming soon! 🎅🏽🍬🏠✨
🎄🍬 GINGERBREAD DECORATING PARTY! 🍬🎄
Presented by Imua Maui Community Healing Initiative, GEM Hawaiʻi, HomeAid Hawai’i, Ka La’i Ola, and Ola Maui.
Gather your ‘ohana and join us for a festive holiday celebration filled with:
🎅🏽 Pics with Santa
🎶 Music & holiday vibes
🍽️ Food & Snacks
🎁 Tons of prizes
🍭 FREE gingerbread house + decorating kit for every family that RSVPs!
📍 Ka La’i Ola
322 Ho’o’ulu St, Lahaina
📅 Dec 18th • 5-7 PM
💫 Spots will fill fast — RSVP now to save your family’s kit! https://forms.gle/wotxXqpp4sTEnKxD7 @homeaidahawaii @olamauillc @kalaiola
JOIN US THIS WEEKEND: Community & Workforce Recovery Resource Pop-up | Sunday, October 12th | 11am - 4pm @familypromiseofhawaii @pacificgateway @alohaunitedway @aloha_house_inc @svdpusa @danielle.dreis
Disaster Case Management Program | Lahaina Strong @state_of_hawaii @alohaunitedway @aloha_house_inc @svdpusa @globalempowermentmissionhawaii
Community & Workforce Recovery Resource Pop-up | Sunday, October 12th | 11am - 4pm @familypromiseofhawaii @pacificgateway @alohaunitedway @aloha_house_inc @svdpusa
Department of Human Services (DHS) Disaster Case Management Program (DCMP) Housing Specialist training at the GEM office this week. #maui #lahaina #firerecovery
The State of Hawaii’s Disaster Case Management Program’s day of remembrance for the 2-yr anniversary of the Maui wildfires. The DCMP made 102 leis to honor the 102 lives lost in the fires and placed the leis at the Teardrop of Lahaina memorial. #maui #lahaina #fire #recovery
GEM Hawaii-Pacific team. Increasing our case workers by more than 100%. St Vincent de Paul doing the new hire State of Hawaii DCM Program training at GEM today.
The Maui Relief TANF Program, administered by @mauieconomicopportunity (MEO) and @globalempowermentmissionhawaii provides short-term and long-term support to families with children whose income is at or below 350% of the federal poverty level and who were directly or indirectly affected by the wildfires.
While the program offers a range of benefits, housing support is only available to families who suffered property loss. Support is temporary and limited to eight months plus security deposit. Benefits are only available to families with dependents. Scan the QR code above to apply today! To learn more about our work in Hawaii visit the link in our bio, or: https://www.globalempowermentmission.org/mission/maui-wildfires/ #maui #wildfires #disasterrecovery #GEM #MEO
Our GEM Hawaii team has been working diligently to place over 300 families back into intermediate housing solutions. There’s still so much to do. This program is in partnership with the State of Hawai’i and DHS. #maui
📍Kaanapali, Maui📍
🌟 Today marks a significant milestone for the community of Lahaina! We`re thrilled to announce the grand opening of the Sacred Hearts School of Lahaina at its temporary campus in Kaanapali. 🏫 This new beginning is a testament to the resilience and spirit of the Lahaina community. Together, we continue to rebuild and grow stronger. 💪❤️
Mahalo to the following individuals and groups:
Ed Freedman (Founder, Stable Roads Foundation)
Michael Capponi (Founder, Global Empowerment Mission)
Filomena Binaua (pianist)
Sacred Hearts School Hawaiian Studies and Hula Club
Kehauanani Kaauwai and Charlene Ako
Dr. Patty Wurst (Emcee and 8th-grade teacher at Sacred Hearts)
Father Kuriakose Nadooparambil (Pastor, Maria Lanakila Catholic Church, and Sacred Hearts Mission Church)
Monsignor Terry Watanabe (Pastor, St Anthony Padua Church and Vicar of Maui)
Father Peter Laupapa Tauf AʻAsau (Parchial Victor, Maria Lanakila Catholic Church)
Father Ken Deasy (Father Kenʻs Vineyard and Sacred Hearts School Advisory Board)
Tonata Lolesio (Principal, Sacred Hearts School)
Michael and Chuen Yee (Managing Partner, MCYIA Interior Architecture and Design)
Rodger & Lisa May (Owner, Pineapple Properties)
Native Hawaiian Practitioner Joshua Kapika (Knights of Columbus and EPIC Ministry)
Dr. Llewellyn Young (Hawaii Catholic Schools)
Ola Maui (Consulting Company)
#SacredHeartsSchool #LahainaStrong #CommunityRebuild #Maui #Kaanapali #NewBeginnings #LahainaMaui #MauiStrong #keikiokaaina #Keikiof Lahaina #Lahainaforever #Studentsoflahaina
Summary Stats
Rental Assistance Program for FEMA-Ineligible
Phase 1: Immediate Response
Our GEM BStrong team is on the ground now in Maui, Hawaii, assisting those who have been severely affected by the wildfires. Our immediate assistance will come in the form of our BStrong cash cards, which offer survivors the flexibility of purchasing whatever supplies they need most. We will also be offering Airbnb Short-term accommodation assistance, Long-term housing solutions, Rebuilding projects, and Contractor tool purchasing assistance to those who’s homes have been severely damaged or completely destroyed in the fires. We will also be offering support for pets affected. Our team will be on the ground indefinitely, ensuring that those on Maui will be given as much long-term support as needed.
GEM will now be operating from our new Maui office, which is open to assist with long-term housing applications, our BStrong cash assistance cards, and other aid.
Long-term Housing Solutions
GEM is presently offering longer-term housing assistance to those who have been displaced by the Lahaina fires. In this program, we are helping to alleviate housing costs to families having to move into new spaces. We will also supply these homes with basic first needs, within our GEM Welcome Home Kits.
Partners
