In the aftermath of Hurricane Lala, which brought damaging winds and severe flooding to Hawaiʻi Island, members of the Hawaiʻi Community College kauhale (village) rallied to support hard-hit families in Kaʻū.
On August 21, members of the Hawaiʻi CC-affiliated Kūkūʻena hula cohort, college faculty and staff joined forces with University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo colleagues to support community-led relief efforts. In Waiʻōhinu, the group met with Hawaiʻi CC alumni Nohealani Kaʻawa, Kaila Kaʻawa and Lanihuli Kanahele, who were establishing a community relief hub.
Partnering with staff from The Nature Conservancy, the UH team delivered food, water and critical supplies to households in the Green Sands area, where residents had been without power and water for a week.
‘Stark, visceral reminder’
Seeing the physical and emotional impact of the storm firsthand left a strong impression on the volunteers.
“What stayed with me most was the strength and resilience of the people in Kaʻū,” said Nohea Pua, a support specialist for career and technical education at Hawaiʻi CC. “Going house to house, we were met with so many smiles and so much positivity in the midst of such a difficult time.”
Hawaiʻi CC Sociology Instructor Michael Branch noted the power of reciprocal community support, especially with students living in the affected area.
“It was a stark, visceral reminder of the extent to which a storm can disrupt the basic things that people depend on every day, but also of just how quickly people can come together and care for one another,” Branch said.
Following the initial trip, Hawaiʻi CC and UH Hilo organized a campus donation drive. On August 27, team members returned to Waiʻōhinu with a van packed with donated supplies.
To support ongoing recovery efforts, follow and message @iewehanauokaaina on Instagram for updates on current needs at the Kōkua Kaʻū Hub.
— By Katie Young Yamanaka and Drew Kapp
