Maui wildfires: Uber, Spam, Airbnb to support displaced locals
Death toll in Maui has surpassed 100
Maui wildfire relief groups aim to find victims more permanent housing
Global Empowerment Mission President and founder Michael Capponi says the biggest need for displaced Hawaiians is getting them out of shelters and into 'stabilized' housing.
Several major companies have been ramping up efforts to support those who have lost everything in the harrowing wildfires that overtook West Maui.
The wildfires that decimated parts of the island are already considered the deadliest in the U.S. in more than a century with over 100 fatalities as of Friday. Crews are working around the clock to contain some of the fires.
Others are combing through neighborhoods to find those unaccounted for. The death toll is expected to rise. In the meantime, communities on the island are working together to gather supplies and lend support.
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Major companies like Uber, Airbnb.org and Hormel Foods, are doing their part to help.
Airbnb.org
Airbnb.org pledged to provide free temporary stays for at least 1,000 people displaced by the deadly wildfires in Maui.
The independent nonprofit, which facilitates temporary stays for people in times of crisis, said it's working with Hawaii Gov. Josh Green and several nonprofit organizations to connect people with temporary housing.
Burned cars in a destroyed neighborhood in the aftermath of a wildfire in Lahaina, western Maui, Hawaii, Aug. 11, 2023. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Airbnb staff volunteers, government entities and nonprofit groups such as the Maui Economic Opportunity and Global Empowerment Mission will review the eligibility of potential guests and help facilitate their stays, according to Airbnb.org.
MAUI HOTELS TO HOUSE DISPLACED FAMILIES, FIRST RESPONDERS AMID WILDFIRES
To help, anyone with a home or room in Hawaii can sign up with Airbnb.org to help people who have been displaced.
Anyone can donate to Airbnb.org to help fund emergency stays. All the donations will go toward covering the cost of housing for the survivors of the wildfires, the organization said.
Anheuser-Busch
Anheuser-Busch already delivered a shipment of 16,000 cans of emergency drinking water to Maui to support residents who are recovering from the fires. The first shipment was delivered by air to Anheuser-Busch wholesaler partner Hawaii Beverage Distribution LLC in Wailuku, Hawaii.
With tap water still contaminated, Anheuser-Busch said it's continuing to work with its wholesale partners to mobilize additional shipments of water to the island. The shipments will be delivered in the coming weeks by boat, according to the company.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HRL | HORMEL FOODS CORP. | 30.67 | +0.17 | +0.56% |
Hormel Foods
The Hormel Foods Corporation, the makers of Spam, is in the process of donating five truckloads of Spam products to help support recovery efforts in Maui.
Three trucks are already on their way with two more to follow. In total, the trucks are carrying over 260,000 cans.
A Mercy Worldwide volunteer assesses a damaged apartment complex in the aftermath of a wildfire in Lahaina, western Maui, Hawaii, Aug. 12, 2023. (Yuki Iwamura/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
The company said it is working with the nonprofit Convoy of Hope, which will ensure the product gets into the hands of those who need it most.
Its Spam brand has donated more than a $1 million in product and cash to directly help those impacted by the wildfires. Part of its efforts included designing and selling a "Spam Brand Loves Maui" T-shirt with 100% of the proceeds going to Aloha United Way’s Maui Fire Relief Fund for relief efforts in the area.
Destroyed buildings and homes are pictured in the aftermath of a wildfire in Lahaina, western Maui, Hawaii, Aug. 11, 2023. (Paula Ramon/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Shopify
Shopify suspended all Shopify Capital remittances for merchants that are in Maui, Shopify Chief Operating Officer Kaz Nejatian said on X, formerly known as Twitter. Remittance rates are the percentage of daily sales that merchants must pay to Shopify.
The company also forgave all loans to merchants who are primarily point-of-sale merchants, Nejatian said.
"If you know of a Shopify merchant in Maui that needs help, please DM [direct message] me," Nejatian wrote.
Uber
Uber announced it is providing free rides to the shelter at the Hawaii Convention Center for evacuees and volunteers.
"Our priority is to ensure that transportation is not a barrier," the company said.
The company is also donating $500,000 to the HawaiI Community Foundation’s Maui Strong Fund.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UBER | UBER TECHNOLOGIES INC. | 71.51 | +1.87 | +2.69% |
| ABNB | AIRBNB INC. | 137.34 | +4.08 | +3.06% |
It's also launching a button in the app that will allow Uber and Uber Eats customers in the U.S. to make donations to the nonprofit. Uber will match the first $500,000 raised, bumping its commitment to $1 million.
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The ride-share giant is also providing financial support to drivers in Lahaina. The company said it is also exploring other "opportunities to help Uber drivers and couriers as Maui moves towards a recovery."