Financial assistance is coming in to support Kauai residents dealing with the aftermath of severe flooding.
With the Hawaii Community Foundation, eBay founder Pierre Omidyar, his wife, Pam, and two anonymous donors have established the Kauai Relief and Recovery Fund to assist with recovery efforts.
The Omidyars, through the Omidyar Ohana Fund, and HCF have each contributed $100,000, along with contributions from two anonymous donors and the Agne Family Fund at HCF.
“To see all of the damage and destruction caused by the floods is heartbreaking and we knew something needed to be done to help address the immediate needs of Kauai residents,” said Pierre Omidyar.
The fund will provide grants to local organizations who are bringing immediate relief to communities across Kauai that have been impacted by the flooding, including assistance to residents who have been displaced from their homes or are cut off from receiving basic necessities including medical supplies, food and water.
In the next 24 hours, the first round of grants will be distributed to Malama Kauai, Kauai Independent Food Bank, and the Kauai North Shore Food Pantry to provide additional staffing, food and water provisions, and emergency supplies.
In addition to providing for the emergency health, shelter and safety needs, the fund will also be used to support key facilities like schools and healthcare centers.
Meanwhile, Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan pledged to donate $1 million to support Kauai disaster relief efforts.
“Kauai has become our family’s retreat and sanctuary,” the couple said in a statement. “We are heartbroken by the floods and are committed to helping the community recover and rebuild an even stronger one.”
The donation will support organizations helping the North Shore and Koloa recover from the acute phase of the disaster including Hawaii Community Foundation, Kauai Habitat for Humanity, and Kauai Economic Opportunity. These contributions are in addition to donations Zuckerberg and Chan made to the American Red Cross and Malama Kauai earlier this week.
Donations to the Kauai Relief and Recovery Fund can be made online here, or by mail to Hawaii Community Foundation, 827 Fort Street Mall, Honolulu, HI, 96813.
