Finding a way home again after the Lahaina fires
The Yadao family invested all their savings to make their home in Lahaina fully ADA-accessible for their grandmother, to support her daily care and medical needs. She lived in it for only one night before the Lahaina fires swept through the neighborhood, destroying everything.
After the fires, the family couldn’t afford to rebuild.
“We thought we lost everything twice — first the fire, then the costs,” said Bhejay Yadao.
Then the family enrolled in Ho’ōla iā Mauiakama Long-Term Recovery Group’s rebuild program. Their grandson coordinated every step of the process and served as the family’s primary planner and advocate.
“When nonprofits stepped in to help rebuild, we felt hope again. I’m doing everything I can so my grandmother can come home,” said Bhejay Yadao.
Now, nearly three years after the fires, thanks to the work of Ho’ōla iā Mauiakama Long Term Recovery Group and nonprofit partners, the family is finally home again. The fully ADA-accessible rebuild was completed with the help of Mennonite Disaster Service volunteers, Hoʻōla LTRGʻs Cajudoy Construction and team, and rebuild partners Lahaina Community Land Trust, Hawaiʻi Community Lending and Kaibigan ng Lahaina. Through volunteer labor, vendor discounts, additional donors combined with insurance funds, the Yadao home was built within budget and at no additional cost to them.
Support from CDP
In 2024, CDP awarded a grant from the Hawaii Wildfires Recovery Fund to the Ho’ōla iā Mauiakama Long-Term Recovery Group, via fiscal sponsor Maui United Way, to fund full-time staff dedicated to supporting equitable recovery for Maui fire survivors through the long-term recovery group model.
“CDP’s early investment made it possible for Hoʻōla to transform into a structured, professional long-term recovery organization capable of guiding families through a multi-year rebuilding process. This grant provided stability at a time when the community was navigating uncertainty and loss, and it enabled the creation of deeply needed systems, partnerships and survivor supports that will continue for years,” said Jeeyun Lee, CEO of Maui United Way.
CDP’s support funded the staffing that launched Ho’ōla LTRG’s rebuild program and made it possible to coordinate volunteer labor, secure materials and case-manage the Yadao family through the recovery process.
Transformative impact
With funding from CDP, Ho’ōla LTRG hired a full-time executive director and resources management coordinator, which laid the foundation for coordinated case management, rebuild support and unmet needs services for fire survivors. Once leadership was established, Hoʻōla LTRG expanded staffing from two to five full-time employees and a contracted construction manager, formalized systems, and launched essential survivor services.
The LTRG’s disaster case management coalition grew to include seven organizations and 25 trained case managers. In total, 1,004 people, like the Yadao family, were served directly during the grant term, and Ho’ōla LTRG’s work continues. Through strengthened leadership and collaboration, Hoʻōla LTRG was also able to unlock more than $762,000 in additional grants and leverage $5 million in unmet needs funding, demonstrating the power of CDP’s early investment.
CDP is proud to support Ho’ōla iā Mauiakama Long-Term Recovery Group’s capacity to help Maui families recover and ensure long-term stability and growth for both the organization and the broader community.
Story by Ruja Entcheva