any people are looking for ways to help those affected by Kilauea’s ongoing eruption..
From money to time or household items, here are several ways you can give:
American Red Cross
The American Red Cross is operating two shelters for residents who had to evacuate their homes.
- Pahoa Community Center (15-3022 Kauhale Street, Pāhoa, HI 96778)
- Keaau Community Center (16-186 Pili Mua St, Keaau, HI 96749)
Volunteers have been working to assist all evacuees with their immediate emergency needs, including distributing comfort kits (toiletries), towels, blankets, and snacks, and offering mental health and health services.
To send a financial contribution, mail your check to American Red Cross, 4155 Diamond Head Road, Honolulu, Hawaii, 96816, make a secure online donation here, or call (808) 739-8109.
The Salvation Army
Emergency Disaster Services personnel and volunteers from The Salvation Army are responding with meal service, hydration, clothing vouchers and emotional and spiritual care at the shelters and the Recovery Information Assistance Center in Pahoa.
You can help in the following ways:
Meal donations: The Salvation Army continues to seek large volume meal donations from local restaurants and certified kitchens [due to health safety food preparation standards] for meal service at shelters. Contact The Salvation Army at (808) 756-0306. Please note, smaller, home-prepared foods and meals, cannot be accepted for meal service at shelters due to health safety food preparation standards.
Volunteers: Additional volunteers are needed to help sort through expected clothing donations at The Salvation Army’s thrift stores in Honokaa, Hilo and Kailua-Kona. For additional details and to sign up to volunteer, visit hawaii.salvationarmy.org and click on the “volunteer” button on the main page. Current volunteer opportunities can be viewed by entering a local zip code by island.
Financial donations: Financial donations can be made online here. Donors have the option to select which disaster relief efforts the money will go toward: volcanic eruption on Hawaii island, or flooding on Kauai or Oahu.
Corporate partners are also offering a variety of ways to help:
First Hawaiian Bank: Aloha for Hawaii Fund to support relief efforts for the Kilauea Volcano Eruption on the Big Island and recovery efforts for flooding on Kauai and in East Oahu. Donations can be made at any of First Hawaiian Bank’s 61 branches located in Hawaii, Guam and Saipan.
Bank of Hawaii: Donations can be made at any of Bank of Hawaii’s 69 branches across Hawaii, the West Pacific Region and American Samoa.
Central Pacific Bank: Central Pacific Bank’s 35 branch locations will be accepting monetary donations to benefit Hawaii disaster relief efforts. Monetary donations will be accepted through May 31, and will go toward The Salvation Army’s EDS efforts in Hawaii, with the opportunity for customers to designate support of either Hawaii Island or Kauai relief and recovery efforts.
Foodland: “Aloha for Puna & Pahoa” Disaster Relief (The Salvation Army). Customers will be able to make monetary donations at all Foodland and Sack N Save stores in Hawaii in $5, $10 or $20 amounts beginning May 9. Donations will go towards The Salvation Army’s EDS efforts.
HiLife: Kokua Collection. A percentage of the proceeds from various HiLife clothing items in their Kokua Collection will be donated to Salvation Army Hawaiian and Pacific Islands division to assist with their relief efforts to victims of recent devastating floods on Oahu and Kauai as well as erupting volcano on Hawaii island. Click here for more information.
Grassroots efforts
Supplies can be dropped off at the donation tent at Highway 130 and Old Pahoa Road, near the first checkpoint at Leilani Estates.
Those wishing to donate food and bottled water should contact Food Basket, Hawaii Island’s Food Bank. They are located at 40 Holomua Street in Hilo and 73-4161 Uluwini Place in Kailua-Kona, or call (808) 933-6030.
Hilo native and St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Kolten Wong started a GoFundMe campaign to help families affected by the volcanic eruption. He says the money raised will go to several non-profit organizations on Hawaii island who are currently assisting those families.
Pasha Hawaii is partnering with Hawaii Stevedores Inc. to fill and ship a 40-foot Pasha Hawaii container to the Puuhonua o Puna donation site in Pahoa for distribution to local families in need. Donations will be accepted Saturday, May 12, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Pier 51A, Sand Island Parkway in Honolulu.
Requested supplies include: Diapers, baby formula (powdered), baby wipes, adult diapers, bath soap, laundry soap, toilet paper, breathing masks, toothbrushes and toothpaste, non-perishable canned goods, bottled water, Ziploc bags, aluminum pans, foil and plastic wrap, paper plates, plastic forks and spoons, paper towels, sanitary napkins, Tylenol and ibuprofen, and gently used clothing.