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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has provided an additional $1.5 million to the American Red Cross to help victims of the August 2023 Maui wildfires in Hawaii.

The church donated $1 million to the Red Cross in the days after the fires began on Aug. 8, 2023. It recently made the new donation, Elder Voi R. Taeoalii, an Area Seventy serving in the North America West Area, told Island News.

Five Latter-day Saints died in the fires, and 80 members of a single congregation, the Lahaina 1st Ward, lost their homes.

In the days after the fires began, the church provided water and other basic needs to evacuees. It also opened temporary shelters in two meetinghouses in the fire zones in Lahaina, a historic town ravaged by the wildfires. One meetinghouse remained opened for two weeks until those displaced by the wildfires found other accommodations.

“The latest contribution on the part of the church is an example of ... our ongoing commitment to continue to help Maui,” Mufi Hannemann, media specialist for the church’s Hawaii Communications Council, said during the Island News program.

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‘We have the people ready and willing to help’: Church provides shelter, funds to Maui after wildfires

The Church of Jesus Christ also provided help and volunteers through the Maui United Way, Hawaii VOAD and the church’s JustServe website.

Elder Taeoalii told Island News viewers they can volunteer to help through JustServe and said the church is working with high schools to organize youth volunteers to help.

“This latest contribution from our church fulfills our Christ-like mission and responsibility to always strive to help our fellow brothers and sisters in need wherever they may reside,” he told ABC17 News.

The fires caused the deaths of 102 people and destroyed more than 2,200 structures.

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said Wednesday that he hopes to finalize details of settlement of lawsuits filed in the wake of the wildfires that will be worth $4 billion, according to the Hill.

From a journalism perspective, it was upsetting and instructive to learn in the weeks after the fires that many rumors about how they started were the result of disinformation campaigns by Chinese and Russian groups. The rumors and falsified reports blamed a “weather weapon” or “space laser” for the fires or making other false claims about “the amazing truth behind the wildfire.”

Some of the misinformation even discouraged Lahaina residents from seeking assistance from government and charitable agencies.

The goal was to sow confusion and distrust, U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, told Hawaii News Now. That is a good reminder to seek information from trusted sources, especially during a disaster.

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About the church

President Russell M. Nelson’s 100th birthday is Sept. 9, and Utah Area young single adults will try to break a Guinness World Record for greeting card contributions on Friday during the annual area YSA Conference at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City. The goal is to write 100,000 messages to President Nelson, shattering the existing record of 20,482. Read more about that, another record-setting effort and other events at the conference here.

The First Presidency said, “We stand ready to support the 2034 Olympic Games” after the IOC voted to award them to Salt Lake City.

Azerbaijan granted official registration to the church after a monthslong process.

A Munich council of religions accepted the church’s membership application.

What I’m reading

How faith and adversity led Courtney Wayment to the 2024 Paris Olympics.

A colleague explored religion’s waning role in the Olympics.

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Comments

Believing painters describe sacred art as a stillness practice.

Liberal-leaning churches are shrinking compared with many conservative churches.

Our family was in Denver on vacation last week and we attended games between the Boston Red Sox and Colorado Rockies on July 22 and 23. We skipped the game on the 24th, unaware that missionaries from the Colorado Denver North Mission were going to sing the national anthem. Sadly, the Red Sox lost the game, 20-7.

Here’s coverage of Latter-day Saints competing in the Olympics on days one and two. And here’s what happened with them on days three and four.

Behind the Scenes

Provided by President Camille N. Johnson
Provided by President Emily Belle Freeman
Bishop W. Christopher Waddell, first counselor in the Presiding Bishopric, and Hawaii Governor Josh Green visit the shelter at the Kahului Hawaii Stake Center, Saturday, Aug. 19, 2023. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
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