Maui Food not Bombs in solidarity with aloha

When hurricane-driven wildfires ravaged the Hawaiian island of Maui, satellite images showed the scale of devastation inflicted upon Lāhainā, a town of roughly 13,000 people known for its historic buildings and cultural significance.

Considered Hawaii’s deadliest wildfire in over a century, the blazes began in grasslands and burned thousands of acres, resulting in significant loss of lives. In the midst of this tragedy, hundreds of volunteers tirelessly searched for those who remained unaccounted for.

Witnessing the situation, APE felt compelled to support the ongoing efforts of Maui Food not Bombs. Driven by a profound sense of aloha, understanding, and solidarity, the organisation extended its support to the affected area, providing kilos of nutritious vegan food over a span of 150 days. This effort nourished approximately 1,000 people between victims and volunteers involved in the rescue operations.

Shelly Brown a volunteer with Maui Food Not Bombs described how they responded to the crises:

‘Notably, there were only a total of 20 rotating volunteers from the community, none of which were all available at the same time, ranging in age from 15-85, helping in multiple needed capacities and all jumping to action to aid those directly affected to offer solidarity. For some helpers, it was the first and only time they entered the burn zone driven by compassion. It was so emotionally impacting that often only two people were serving, non-stop until all food was gone, which ranged anywhere from 2 to 4 hours. Since we were unique in the fact that our food was all vegan, local, and farm-fresh and that we served rather than passing out boxes of food…it was very popular and even volunteers from the other food sites came to eat with us.’

The menu featured a variety of offerings, including kalua jackfruit, trutempeh, purple sweet potato hash with fresh oko’a green beans, rice, macaroni with cheeze sauce, macaroni salad, and green salad adorned with locally sourced toppings like pauwela sprouts. All produce utilized was locally grown, symbolizing both community resilience and global support.

In the face of tragedy, these collaborative efforts sought to provide not only sustenance but also a testament to the strength of communities coming together during challenging times. The story of Maui's resilience in the aftermath of this catastrophic event continues to unfold, with the hope that the spirit of aloha will illuminate the path towards recovery and reconstruction.