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

President Donald Trump arrives at the White House following a weekend trip to Florida, in Washingto...

Associated Press

The Latest: Trump says his deportation policy ‘might have been too tough’ for voters

President Donald Trump, in his first major interview since his party lost control of the House and Senate in the midterm elections, said he thinks his administration was too aggressive on deportations and that he thinks he can work with Democrats in the new Congress on some kind of immigration deal. Trump and his Department […]

2 hours ago

The Capitol is seen under gray skies after American voters this week flipped control of both chambe...

Associated Press

Congress returns to a changed Washington after GOP’s election wipeout

WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress returns Monday to a changed Washington, the Democrats having trounced Republicans in the midterm elections, but with President Donald Trump doubling down on his political threats despite the landmark GOP losses. Newly elected lawmakers arrived on Capitol Hill over the weekend, creating a jumble of split-screen moments reflective of the new […]

3 hours ago

FILE - Former President Joe Biden speaks to the South Carolina Democratic Party, Feb. 27, 2026, in ...

Associated Press

Joe Biden, in White House memoir, says Trump should carry the weight of Jan. 6 riots ‘to his grave’

ATLANTA (AP) — Former U.S. President Joe Biden writes in his White House memoir that Donald Trump, at once his predecessor and successor, has deeply damaged the country and world with an administration determined to “tear down institutions and inflame hatreds.” And the 83-year-old Democrat said the 80-year-old Trump’s years of lies about his 2020 […]

3 hours ago

Backpacks hang outside a classroom at Glen Cove Elementary on Monday, Aug. 17, 2026, in Vallejo. (A...

Associated Press

Takeaways from AP’s report on school closures in the US

VALLEJO, Calif. (AP) — The start of a new school year can be nerve-wracking under any circumstances. But for thousands of students across the U.S., this academic year brought the added difficulty of adjusting to an entirely new school after their previous ones shuttered. As U.S. birth rates continue a multidecade slide and state and […]

11 hours ago

People walk past the Urban Civil Rights Museum on Friday, Nov. 6, 2026, in the Harlem neighborhood ...

Associated Press

Few museums show the North’s Civil Rights Movement. A new one in Harlem is ‘just getting started’

NEW YORK (AP) — The National Urban League will open a museum this weekend in Harlem dedicated to the civil rights struggles in the North, the first of its kind in New York City. Located in the Urban League’s Manhattan headquarters, the Urban Civil Rights Museum in Harlem explores the region’s lesser-known histories of the […]

11 hours ago

Penny Nũnez-Brandão sits in class during her first day of school at Glen Cove Elementary on Monda...

Associated Press

School closures are accelerating in US, but more financial pain lies ahead

VALLEJO, Calif. (AP) — Minutes before first bell, Penny Núñez-Brandão scanned the crowd outside Glen Cove Elementary School, looking for familiar faces. “I don’t see any,” the fifth grader told her mom one morning in August. “None of my friends are coming.” The start of a new school year can be nerve-wracking under any circumstances. […]

11 hours ago

How to help those impacted by the Hawaii floods