FHLB Des Moines awards $5 million for Maui wildfire relief

September 30, 2023

A relief worker wearing a yellow vest stands in front of an emergency shelter directing other relief workers.

Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines (FHLB Des Moines) has announced grants totaling $5 million in support of disaster relief following the August wildfires on the Hawai‘ian island of Maui.

A grant of $4 million to the Hawai‘i Bankers Association will be regranted to the Hawai‘i Community Foundation's (HCF) Maui Strong Fund, the Maui United Way, and the Council for Native Hawai‘ian Advancement. A grant of $1 million to the Valley Isle Chapter of the Hawaii Credit Union League (VIC-HCUL) will be directed to its Credit Union Wildfire Relief Fund. Hawai‘i is one of 13 states that FHLB Des Moines serves, funding housing, farming, and community development through local institutions.

“As we move into the restore phase, we hope to help families transition from temporary housing in hotels and with family and friends to a more stable and transitional housing situation,” said Trevor Tokishi, VIC-HCUL treasurer and president of Valley Isle Community Federal Credit Union. “This phase is expected to last for years. It aligns with FHLB Des Moines’ mission of promoting stable housing.”

To date, HCF’s Maui Strong Fund has raised over $127 million with more than 208,000 contributions from 45 nations and distributed $24.7 million to more than 100 grantee organizations.

In addition, GoFundMe has raised more than $55 million with 340,000 gifts from donors in the United States and at least 100 other countries. Through GoFundMe’s Classy platform, nonprofits also have raised more than $15 million. Maui United Way has raised $15 million to date from more than 50,000 donors and has distributed $5 million to survivors for emergency financial assistance, while Aloha United Way’s Maui Relief Fund has raised more than $2.3 million, of which $2 million has been distributed.

The Mamoru and Aiko Takitani Foundation, established by the founders of chocolate maker Hawaiian Host, has awarded wildfire relief grants totaling $300,000 to Lahaina Hongwanji Mission, Maui Preparatory Academy, and St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church.

(Photo credit: FEMA/Lameen Witter)