STORY BY MARITSSA AGUILAR, STAFF WRITER
The wildfires on the island of Maui, left over 115 people dead and 388 missing, this led Cypress College students to pile on efforts to help out the Hawaiian communities affected.
According to a report by USA Today, the fire occurred in the city of Lahaina where several wind driven fires forced evacuations causing territorial damage throughout the city. In its destruction so far it has killed at least 110 people and has left more than 380 still missing throughout the town’s remains.
Cypress College students are concerned and share how they believe we can advocate for the Lahaina community from home.
Sophomore Cypress College student Samantha Ramos said we could help support the Maui community by, “spread[ing] awareness, because I still feel like it’s not getting enough coverage at all, and…I feel like not enough people know the President is brushing it off. I feel like people should just speak up about it and spread more information, and that could at least make a change”.
Students feel as the only ways they can try to support Lahaina is through donating through GoFundMe’s, sending food, and more government action, including press. Makayla Brown, a biology major said, “Send troops out with supply bags,” and in order to get funding for those bags she mentioned, getting the funds through GoFundMe.
Despite the continuous effort of stopping the fire and locating missing people, 100% of the affected island has been searched, but there are still over 380 people missing as of current. If willing to donate these are potential donor sites to visit, or spreading awareness like the students at Cypress College said advocates for change as well.
Here are organizations taking donations for the community of Maui: Common Ground Collective, and The Maui Strong Fund by Hawaii Community Foundation.
