Devastating rainfall on the Hawaiian island of Kauai has washed away houses, cars and livestock, and turned calm water wild, recounts Rabbi Michoel Goldman, who co-directs GANI-Chabad Kauai with his wife, Zisel. “There were homes just going down the river,” says the Chabad-Lubavitch emissary. “It was a gushing torrent, taking with it everything in sight.”
Sari Pastore, who lives in Haena, one of the areas currently isolated by the floods, says the narrow winding road to their rural community has closed many times before due to flooding, stranding locals and the fleet of tourists who come through. “This is a totally different animal,” she tells Chabad.org. “People have lost their homes—people have lost everything.”
The Goldmans checked in with Pastore after the storm and asked how they could help. She said people needed fresh produce, so the couple started shopping. And in came the groceries, on volunteered boats, ready for distribution. Her husband, Steve Pastore, meets the boats with his truck near the beach to help offload them. “They’re doing the perfect kind of help, which is listening to what the needs are and then filling the gaps,” says Pastore. “It’s really, really grass-roots, and very kind and loving.”
Haena currently has a medical clinic, soup kitchen and food pantry in operation; some people can cook at home, while others no longer have kitchens, explains Pastore. There’s an area for linens and clothing, and plans are in the works to start up classes for area children who can’t travel to their schools.
“The bottom line is we are not here alone, we cannot function alone,” she says. “We need a strong community to stand up for each other and work together.”
‘It’s a Crisis’
In addition to providing immediate assistance, Goldman says that in the long term they’ll focus on helping people rebuild their businesses, some of which are very much based on tourism and the water.
The Goldmans launched a fundraiser on Saturday night to generate money for supplies and enhance their efforts. Meanwhile, the rabbi says community members have been bringing packages to the Jewish Center to send to stranded Wainiha area residents as well.
People’s lives have been dramatically impacted by the recent events, relates Goldman, citing a story he’d heard about a scuba instructor who would be without work for the month until the mud in the water got cleaned up, and another whose kayak/paddle-board rental company had its inventory washed away. That’s not to mention the plight of another area man, who came out of his outhouse to find that his home was gone.
There’s a lot of work to be done, says Goldman.
“The spirit of generosity and volunteerism that’s come out is incredible,” he says. “It’s a crisis, and we’re trying to do our part.”
For more information on how to help, visit Chabad’s Kauai relief page.
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