In Hawaii, thousands of people are trying to rebuild their lives after a deadly wildfire swept through the town of Lahaina on the island of Maui last month.
In an effort to support those affected, the Pueblo of Sandia has announced that they will be donating $1 million to the Maui Strong Fund.
The Maui wildfires burned more than 2,000 acres and killed at least 97 people, according to the county of Maui.
The donation will be going to the Hawai’i Community Foundation's Maui Strong Fund that is helping to support the recovery and rebuilding efforts for people whose homes and possessions were lost.
Stuart Paisano, the Governor of Sandia Pueblo, said a few tribal council members brought the idea of donating to him during their meetings.
“My community has always been very thoughtful of natural disasters that have occurred nationwide and sometimes in the world,” he said. “And we wanted to see if there was a way to help the people of Lahaina and of Maui, in particular those that are Native Hawaiians, that may have been impacted by the fires.”
Paisano hopes that their donation will have a significant impact on the communities by helping them rebuild.
“Whether it's homes, businesses, or assisting with just the town itself with the culture, as well, was very important to us,” he said.
He said the need to help others has always been at the heart of their community.
“The Pueblo of Sandia and its people have always been a people of generosity,” he said. “It is our belief that through prayer, through our culture, and at times because of our success in our enterprises, if we can help, we're here to do that exactly.”
The Governor hopes the hard-hit town of Lahaina will get back some sense of normalcy soon.
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