‘We just trying to help’: Outpouring of aloha offers key reminders for donors

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - As donations continue to pour into Maui, officials are asking everyone to keep in mind some key pointers.

Officials have said they’ve already received more than enough clothing donations and are kindly asking the public to hold off on donating more material goods. Instead, monetary donations are most valued at this time when organizations are doing their best to sort and hand out the items already received.

[Read more: Maui evacuees don’t need any more donated clothing. Here’s what they’re asking for]

Another key point for those mailing donations: Be sure to have a designated receiver on the ground on Maui. If no one is there to accept the package, it could get lost.

That was the case for Deanna Davis who has been working tirelessly with her family since day one to support Maui communities in desperate need.

“We just trying to help. Like it’s so frustrating. All we doing is trying to help people,” Davis said through tears.

“And for the government to drag their [expletive] ... Idk what the hell is going on. Nobody knows what the hell is going on,” she continued. “And it’s like, we just trying because we love our people and we just going help our people. So from day one we were out there. Before anybody could blink we was there. And it’s Maui. Everybody on Maui get relationships. That’s our aunties our uncles our cousins, braddahs, sistas. We going hui together and we gonna make it happen.”

Davis explained she was awaiting the arrival of five shipping containers worth of donated goods this week, but she never received them. It renewed discussion online regarding the process of receiving donated goods.

FEMA confirmed they do not seize or confiscate donated items. In an update Thursday, Davis told Hawaii News Now the containers were marked as general relief or donations, and says the containers were likely released to the wrong entity.

Her concerns are in alignment with so many saying relief has been slow to arrive to the people who need it most.

She said it was unfortunate they encountered the speedbump with trying to receive their first batch of donations, but will continue to rally help and volunteers to do what they can.

Officials also ask that if people do send items, please sort them first.