Fundraising efforts for Maui fire victims continue to pop up across Bay Area
LAHAINA, Hawaii - All across the Bay Area right now, new fundraising are efforts continuing to pop up in the wake of this week’s devastating wildfire in Lahaina.
One fundraiser was started by Jason Raffin, a San Francisco chef, who recently relocated to Hawaii. He barely escaped the flames and his home and restaurant were completely destroyed.
"There was no warning. I only had time to pack up one backpack, this current shirt, my friend gave me," said Raffin. "I was with my girlfriend, and we were watching the hurricane-force winds blow roofs off of buildings, and suddenly there was some smoke accumulating a half mile away."
The part-owner of San Francisco's Mission Street Burger, who also launched a GoFundMe page, says he’s just getting started with his fundraising efforts. Raffin, who also founded The Chef Collective, a nonprofit that addresses food insecurity, is now planning a string of other fundraisers with his friends in the culinary world.
"This is going to be, not just weeks-long efforts, its months-long, year-long efforts," said Raffin.
Bay Area pours money into Hawaii relief effort
The largest effort right now in the Bay Area is being spearheaded by several San Francisco tourism organizations.
Raffin's fundraising campaign is just one example of a growing Bay Area effort to aid in Maui’s recovery. A Honolulu-based team with ties to food pantry Hope Hanger in Mountain View has been busy delivering food to shelters near Lahaina.
"We were able to get funds over to them, and then they were able to deploy," said Michelle Stewart of Hope Hangar.
So far, the group has raised more than $7,500 with an eye towards to the rebuilding effort.
"The reality is reconstruction is going to take many, many years and so what we’re doing right now is identifying local families that we can come around as we’re raising funds to really get them set up well," said Stewart.
In San Francisco, workers from the International Longshore and Warehouse Union have been busy stuffing a shipping container full of donations.
"I’ve had people come up here crying, in pain, because they have family members and friends from Hawaii, from Maui, said one union volunteer. "Some of the things that hurt me and made me want to volunteer," he added.
The union says anyone who wants to drop off donations can visit the container at 400 North Point St. in San Francisco's North Beach neighborhood from 6 a.m. until 8 p.m. through Friday.