| SAMARITAN’S PURSE IS WORKING WITH LOCAL CHURCH PARTNERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT TO DETERMINE HOW WE CAN HELP IN THE WAKE OF CATASTROPHIC LOSS. Samaritan’s Purse has deployed North American Ministries assessment teams to Hawaii to determine our relief response following deadly wildfires that swept through Maui this week. Billy Graham Rapid Response Team chaplains are also en route to provide emotional support and spiritual comfort to residents reeling in the wake of so much loss.  Samaritan’s Purse President Franklin Graham, in a Facebook post Aug. 10, asked people to pray. “Pray for residents, first responders, and leadership in the wake of this devastating disaster,” he said. “We are working with local officials and churches to assess how Samaritan’s Purse Disaster Relief and Billy Graham Evangelistic Association Rapid Response Chaplains can best help.” RECEIVE HAWAII RESPONSE VOLUNTEER UPDATES On Tuesday, dry conditions prompted fires on the Aloha State’s second largest island–a manageable burn made catastrophic on Wednesday as winds from Category 4 Hurricane Dora swept it into a blaze. Even from its path, trekking more than 1,000 miles south of Honolulu, the storm produced gusts of up to 70 miles per hour across the Islands. They caused Maui’s brushfires to burn out of control. We are working with local emergency management, church partners, and local leaders as we monitor the situation and begin to assess needs in and around the town of Lahaina. Tragically, the historic village, home to more than 13,000 people, was leveled and more than 50 people have died from the blaze. Many residents fled for the ocean as the blaze grew out of control. Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke declared a state of emergency for the Islands and the Hawaii National Guard has been mobilized. As the fires were once again brought under control Wednesday night, residents were left mourning the loss of loved ones and of homes and businesses. Please pray for our teams as they work with our partners on the ground to see how Samaritan’s Purse can provide relief in this time of great suffering. This is our second response to Hawaii in recent years, following our 2018 response in the aftermath of catastrophic flooding on Kauai. We will update this page with information on volunteer opportunities as it becomes available in coming days. You can also visit spvolunteer.org. |
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U.S. Disaster ReliefSamaritan’s Purse mobilizes and equips thousands of volunteers to provide emergency aid to U.S. victims of wildfires, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, and other natural disasters. In the aftermath of major storms, we often stay behind to rebuild houses for people with nowhere else to turn for help.
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