Supporting dignified food access after the Lahaina fires
“This grant was absolutely crucial to carry out the food delivery mission; best part is we became the last provider of hot meals which was critical to people in constant housing solution thrashing, and as such gave great comfort to and compliments from the community.” – Gary Grube, founder and president of Hua Momona Foundation
For communities affected by disasters, the act of cooking and eating a warm meal means more than just nourishment – it’s a way to provide comfort and restore a sense of normalcy. Enjoying familiar foods can boost morale, reduce stress and provide stability in chaotic situations.
In 2023, the devastating Hawaii fires exacerbated food insecurity in Maui, making it one of the most persistent challenges for survivors. Even as recovery efforts took shape, many people were living in unstable conditions. With their houses destroyed, families living in shelters, cars, sheds or tents were often left without reliable access to a kitchen or a safe place to store food or prepare meals. For families already navigating profound loss and uncertainty, accessing nutritious food was not just a necessity; it was a critical part of the path toward recovery.
Hua Momona Foundation, whose mission is to support Maui’s most marginalized populations by providing food to those in need, stepped in to help.
Through a $250,000 grant from our Hawaii Wildfires Recovery Fund, CDP supported Hua Momona Foundation (HMF) in delivering culturally-appropriate and highly nutritious hot meals and locally-grown produce boxes to Maui residents experiencing food and housing insecurity after the fires. HMF also provided food assistance for residents who were stably housed but had lost income or access to grocery stores. From June through December 2024, HMF provided 25,000 hot meals and delivered 720 boxes of fresh produce sourced directly from local Maui farms. During those six months, HMF served 2,100 people in 775 families in Lahaina. Since the fires, Hua Momona has provided more than 90,000 hot meals, reflecting the scale of the ongoing challenges in the community.
More than simply meeting an immediate need, this grant helped ensure survivors could access food that was locally grown, delicious and prepared with people’s dignity in mind.
“This grant was absolutely crucial to carry out [our] food delivery mission. …We became the last provider of hot meals, which was critical [for] people in constant housing solution thrashing, and as such gave great comfort to the community,” said Gary Grube, founder and president of Hua Momona Foundation.
In a recovery landscape where many short-term services had ended, Hua Momona Foundation remained a trusted source of stability for families still navigating uncertainty. By supporting this work beyond the initial response, CDP helped ensure families were not left behind as attention faded.
The grant also supported HMF’s organizational capacity. The funding enabled HMF to secure ingredients for the meals and hire a chef and a volunteer coordinator, who organized volunteers to assist with food preparation and distribution.
Flexible funding, delivered quickly to trusted local partners, has an outsized impact. CDP’s grant helped HMF to support fire-affected residents with efforts that were responsive and grounded in community care, while championing the local farm and food industry during a period of economic disruption.
Through this grant, CDP helped ensure survivors were not only fed but also cared for, and that recovery was rooted not just in meeting basic needs but in nourishing the heart of the community.
Story by Taylor Chapman