Donations pour in as people lose everything in deadly Maui wildfire

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) -King’s Cathedral Church in Central Maui has a mission to help the community, and it has been overrun with donations.

The church says it is doing what it can to help anyone who needs it.

“I know the Aloha spirit and our people are the most generous people on the planet,” said church Pastor Shannon Marocco. “But to see it literally, see it right in front of your eyes, is just overwhelming. It’s truly the love of God.”

FOX5 has a crew in Maui. Our staff was given a tour of the large church and all it is doing to help. The church has removed its pews from the congregation area and placed them in different rooms for people to rest.

“I tried to get a hold of as many cots as I could. I pulled all my connections, with the military we only got a few. So, we’ve just been making do with what we have, and some people are just sleeping on the floor in our sanctuary. But there’s AC, it’s cool, it’s a safe place,” said Marocco.

The pastor also showed FOX5 different rooms of supplies for people, including food and water, and a room full of clothes for families. The church is helping even in its own time of need.

“As a community we’re just really shocked, overwhelmed by everything that has happened. It happened so quickly, with the winds and the fire. We got word that many of our families have lost their homes in Lahaina. We also have a church campus there in Lahaina that we’ve confirmed has been burnt to the ground,” said the pastor.

She told FOX5 something a friend told her: that out of pain brings purpose.

“Out of this, there will come purpose. There will be a rebuilding. There will be a stronger Maui and Hawaii. And we’ll have a story to tell our kids and our kid’s kids how we fought through this,” said Marocco.

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