NATIONAL NEWS

How to help those impacted by the Hawaii floods

Mar 25, 2026, 9:21 AM

Volunteers sort donated supplies for distribution at Haleiwa Distillery following recent flooding, ...

Volunteers sort donated supplies for distribution at Haleiwa Distillery following recent flooding, Tuesday, March 24, 2026, in Waialua, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Mengshin Lin)
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS

(AP Photo/Mengshin Lin)

As communities across Hawaii dig out from destruction caused by the worst flooding to hit the state in over 20 years, nonprofits, mutual aid networks and foundations are collecting donations to support households, farmers and animals affected across the state.

Two Kona low winter storm systems roughly a week apart unleashed deluges over soil too soaked to absorb more rainwater, damaging farmers’ crops, hundreds of homes, several schools and one hospital.

Damages from both storms could exceed $1 billion, according to Hawaii Governor Josh Green, who has asked President Donald Trump for a major disaster declaration to channel federal resources to the recovery effort.

“These storms have impacted every county in our state and stretched our emergency response capabilities,” Green said in a statement. “This request is about getting our communities the support they need to recover quickly and safely.”

Meanwhile, neighbors and aid groups are rallying to help affected households secure temporary housing, replace food, receive medical care and muck out debris-laden homes.

“So many families have been displaced, homes have been damaged, and communities are facing immediate needs,” said Hawaiian Council CEO Kuhio Lewis. “The path to recovery begins now — it cannot wait.”

Here are some of the groups accepting financial support to help those impacted.

Families and individuals

Lahui Foundation is accepting donations for its mutual aid work distributing supplies and financial aid to Oahu’s North Shore families. The group is also organizing volunteers to help residents clean out homes and neighborhoods. North Shore-born musician Jack Johnson pointed those eager to help to the Lahui Foundation in an Instagram post.

Aloha United Way on Oahu has activated its Community Relief Fund to provide immediate assistance to individuals and families, and support nonprofit organizations working on the front lines. Maui United Way is helping communities on Maui and the smaller neighbor island of Molokai. Hawaii Island United Way is collecting donations to help households impacted on Big Island, and asks supporters to make a note in their donation that they want to support flood relief.

The Hawaiian Council, a nonprofit dedicated to Native Hawaiian advancement, launched the Kako’o Oahu initiative to help residents with housing stability services, financial assistance, and other future needs. The council is matching up to $200,000 in donations.

The Hawaii Community Foundation has activated its Stronger Hawaii Fund to deploy resources across the state for response, recovery and future resilience.

Maui Rapid Response is using funds to deliver mutual aid to underserved communities on Maui and Molokai, including people who are homeless and areas that were temporarily cut off by flooding.

Crowdfunding

GoFundMe has created a hub of verified fundraisers for those impacted by the Hawaii floods.

Help Maui Rise is also keeping a spreadsheet of donation opportunities for people directly affected, vetted by community members, according to the organization.

Animals

The Hawaiian Humane Society on Oahu is responding in flooded areas and providing pet food and supplies to displaced families. They are accepting monetary donations and are updating their Amazon wishlist as needs arise. Maui Humane Society is collecting donations to support help remote communities like Hana, which was temporarily cut off from aid due to washed out roads, and the island of Molokai.

Farmers

Hawaii Farmers Union Foundation launched the Hawaii Flood Response Fund to help farmers across the state recover, rebuild, and restore Hawaii’s local food system, according to the group. Estimated damages to farms statewide exceed $15 million so far, according to Agriculture Stewardship Hawaii.

Medical Aid

Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawaii and Hawaii H.O.M.E Project have set up mobile health units on Oahu’s North Shore, working with partners like Direct Relief, which is helping distribute water purification supplies, antibiotics, insect repellant, tetanus shots and other needed medical items.

———

Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of AP’s philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.

Please follow our Community Guidelines

National News

FILE - A thick haze hangs over Manhattan in New York on July 20, 2021. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson, Fi...

Associated Press

New York’s plan to charge fossil-fuel producers $75B for climate change damages is struck down

New York’s attempt to make fossil fuel-producing industries pay into a $75 billion fund to repair the damage wrought by climate change was struck down by a federal judge, who said the sweeping law reaches beyond a state’s responsibility and into an area of federal interest. The law, signed in 2024 by Democratic Gov. Kathy […]

19 minutes ago

FILE - A now hiring sign is seen in front of an auto body shop in Chicago, June 25, 2026. (AP Photo...

Associated Press

U.S. job openings rise slightly to 7.3 million as labor market remains sturdy despite higher costs

WASHINGTON (AP) — Employers posted slightly more job openings in July but as the American labor market remained sturdy in the face of higher costs that are squeezing household budgets. U.S. job openings ticked up to 7.27 million in July from a revised 7.18 million in June, the Labor Department reported Tuesday. The department’s Job […]

2 hours ago

FILE - White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press ...

Associated Press

For a century, journalists have had a voluntary ethics code. Editors are giving it an AI-era reboot

NEW YORK (AP) — Walk into a corner of a newsroom somewhere and you can often find it affixed to a bulletin board, perhaps peeking out from behind the coffee pot: the Society of Professional Journalists’s Code of Ethics. It’s less than a thousand words, fitting neatly on a poster. But those words — organized […]

2 hours ago

FILE - John Ternus, Apple's V.P. of Hardware Engineering, discusses the latest development for the ...

Associated Press

Apple’s new CEO, John Ternus, takes over from Tim Cook after 15 years

Apple’s new CEO John Ternus takes the helm of the iconic tech giant on Tuesday, ending Tim Cook’s 15-year tenure during which the company’s value skyrocket to $4.6 trillion thanks to the iPhone’s enormous popularity. The transition to a new CEO comes at a pivotal time for Apple. Artificial intelligence has unleashed the greatest upheaval […]

6 hours ago

FILE - Delivery vans are parked during a protest staged as part of a countrywide National Day of Ac...

Associated Press

Postal Service work to comply with Trump’s executive order is rushed, sloppy, whistleblower contends

The U.S. Postal Service is poised to launch a hastily built, error-riddled computer system that could jeopardize the process of mail voting relied upon by one-third of all voters, according to a whistleblower statement released Tuesday by Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal. The effort is part of the implementation of President Donald Trump’s executive order limiting […]

6 hours ago

Associated Press

Tropical Storm Edouard approaches Texas and Louisiana with potential for heavy rains, flooding

MIAMI (AP) — Tropical Storm Edouard headed toward the Gulf Coast early Tuesday and expected to gain strength before bringing potentially heavy rains and flooding into parts of Texas and Louisiana. The storm was upgraded Monday night from a tropical depression and forecasters with the National Hurricane Center expect it will make landfall in Texas […]

7 hours ago

How to help those impacted by the Hawaii floods