HSTA provides second and final fire relief checks to Maui members who lost homes in fires

The Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association will provide a second and final relief check of $2,665 in the next week to 92 members and HSTA-Retired members who cannot live in their primary residences on Maui because of damage or destruction by the Aug. 8 wildfires.

“Our heartfelt thanks to more than 300 people and organizations from around the nation and across the state who have donated more than $434,000 for HSTA’s fire relief efforts,” said HSTA President Osa Tui, Jr.

In the first round of aid earlier this fall, HSTA provided $1,000 to members who lost their homes and $500 to members who lost their classrooms.

The HSTA donated $15,000 to the Aloha United Way’s Maui Fire Relief campaign and another $10,000 to the Public Schools of Hawaiʻi Foundation for its fire relief efforts.

The largest donations to HSTA’s Fire Relief Fund came from the National Education Association, which gave $50,000. NEA Member Benefits donated another $50,000 collected through a GoFundMe crowdfunding link for several months after the Maui wildfires.

National Education Association affiliates nationwide have also donated to HSTA’s Maui Fire Relief fund.

The Arizona Education Association Foundation for Teaching & Learning donated $30,000.

From making beds to vacuuming cars, students from two Tampa, Florida-area public schools raised $13,500 in just six days to benefit Maui teachers who lost their homes and classrooms to the deadly wildfires.

HSTA-Retired gave $10,000 to HSTA’s fire relief efforts.

Organizations that donated $5,000 included Florida Education Association, NEA-Alaska, and Washington Education Association.

Other educator union affiliates that made donations include the Anaheim Secondary Teachers Association, Boston Teachers Union, Broward Teachers Union, California Teachers Association, Colorado Education Association, Delaware Education Association, Florida Education Association, Illinois Education Association, Indiana State Teachers Association, Maine Education Association, Missouri NEA, Morris County Retirees Education Association, National Education Association-New Mexico, NEA Rhode Island Retired, Nevada State Education Association, New Jersey Education Association, Ohio Education Association, Orange Unified Education Association. Pennsylvania State Education Association, United Faculty of Florida, Utah Education Association, the Vancouver Education Association, and Vermont NEA.

Donations have been received so far from individuals and organizations from Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawai’i, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.