What is this all about and who are we? The first one is significant, but the second one isn’t, so I would love to keep this short:
What is HowToHelpMaui.com?
Founded by husband-and-wife team Feda & Tabitha Mecan, howtohelpmaui.com exists solely to support Maui by offering donor guidance, identifying trusted organizations and fundraisers, and combatting disaster relief fraud.
We’re relying on trusted local sources on Maui and neighboring islands; everything you see here is a collection from what we gathered from official lists, personal recommendations, or social media accounts we diligently reviewed to the best of our abilities.
There is, unfortunately, a lot of fraud in every disaster relief effort and there are some organizations where only a small amount of donations actually arrives.
We will ALWAYS follow the advice and wishes of the kamaʻāina (local residents). We are here to help – and not for fame, attention, or anything similar. Our ONLY goal is and will be to help the people of Maui to recover and rebuilt.
We hope to contribute for the people of Maui long term and help them NOT to be bought out of their own ʻĀina. Lāhainā, Kula and all affected neighborhoods need to be provided with the resources to rebuild on their own terms.
Regrettably, moments of catastrophe often awaken the seeds of greed in certain individuals. Our aspiration is to offer meaningful support, and through the spirit of Aloha, ensure that unity and selflessness may prevail.
Who we are?
Almost 15 years ago we got married on the beautiful island of Maui and fell in love with Hawai’i: the wonderful nature, rich culture, and history and above all with the people we met. Over the years we have spend many months living on the islands and discovering the beauty and uniqueness of the different places. Traveling together with our keiki we always felt a special bond that kept calling us back, especially to Maui.
Right now, we are back in Germany, but Hawai’i is the place that has our heart. So, this is the time to be more than just a tourist (and please, don’t travel to West Maui for a while, let the people heal and rebuild).
Our urge and drive to help is coming from a place of deep compassion and understanding. When Feda was just a 10-year-old child he survived and fled the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina and found a temporary home with a kind and selfless family as a refugee in Germany. He can understand and relate more than most what it means to lose your home and almost everything else. So we want to help – from our ohana to yours.
Do you need help? Can you help us offer more help in the future?
If you are well-versed in American bureaucracy, we would love your help, so we can also build a knowledge base around all the paperwork people will have to battle with insurances, FEMA and other official authorities.
How to get in touch?
When you scroll down, you will find our social media profiles in the footer. Reach out any time. Mahalo!
