August 8 marks the one year anniversary of the fires that ravaged Maui and burned down the beloved town of Lāhainā. August 8 changed the lives of so many on our island. It sits heavy in our hearts and invites us to reflect on the past year. 

And it has been a challenging year. In the wake of the fires, many on Maui still struggle deeply to meet their most basic needs. Our hearts break as many of our neighbors leave the island as economic refugees. As we have worked together with those who are fighting for justice and healing, we have never lost sight of the many needs of our lāhui. 

But within the challenges, at the heart of it all, we see the resilient community of Maui. Just after the fires, the entire world watched as the Maui community rallied together to support and uplift thousands of stranded fire refugees and did everything they could to help. There was an outpouring of meals, supplies, housing, and kindness from the people of Maui to their neighbors who lost everything except the love of their community.  

It’s this aloha that has kept the momentum going throughout this past year to hold and heal the people of Lāhainā. While there is still so much work to be done, here at Pacific Birth Collective, we stand proud to be in and of this community so full of resilience and love. We commit, as we have from the beginning, to understanding the deepest needs of some of the most vulnerable among us, and we will continue to do everything we can to support them. 

To read more about how PBC has responded this past year, check out our annual report.

The aftermath of the fires caused many pivotal changes in Pacific Birth Collective's work and programming, and we continue to shift and grow to meet the needs of our mothers and babies. On that note, we are happy to announce two new programs that will address food security and mental health in our community.