If you’re trying to track down loved ones on Maui, these non-profits could help
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - If you are looking for a loved one who may have been impacted by or lost in the wildfires on Maui, some non-profits have resources for you.
Family Assistance Center
A family assistance center has been opened at the Kahului Community Center at 275 Uhu Street. It is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. for Thursday and Friday. Officials say hours after Friday have not yet been set.
The Maui Emergency Management Agency will pass out forms to be filled out to help in the process of locating unaccounted for family members.
Red Cross
Anyone looking for elderly loved ones or those with serious medical or mental vulnerabilities can call 1-800-RED CROSS to open an Emergency Welfare Inquiry.
Family members can also reach out to local chapters the Hawaii Red Cross or their national Restoring Family Links number at 1-844-782-9441 for assistance in locating a loved one disconnected during the fires.
The Red Cross encourages anyone whose family members connected to the military or are disconnected due to evacuations from their home to contact its local branches. The organization’s Hawaii headquarters can be reached at 808-734-2101 and the Maui office at 808-244-0051.
Here are some tips for contacting loved ones from Red Cross:
- Call during off-peak hours for the best chance of getting through.
- Send a text message, which may go through when phone calls cannot.
- Check your loved one’s social media pages (i.e., Facebook, Twitter, etc.), as they may have already gone online to tell their story.
- Send an email
- Call friends and relatives who may have already been in contact with your loved one.
- Call people and places where your loved one is well-known; neighbors, employer, school, place of worship, senior center, social club/center, union, or fraternal organization.
- Try sending a letter. Your loved one’s mail may be getting forwarded to his or her new location.
More information can be found here on the Red Cross Website.
CONTINUING COVERAGE:
- Maui’s mayor: 6 confirmed deaths in raging wildfires, hundreds of homes feared destroyed
- More than 30 downed power poles reported on Maui; thousands without power
- PHOTOS: Powerful winds knock down trees and utility poles, fuel brush fires
- LIST: All Maui public schools, with the exception of one, closed Wednesday
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