Pappy’s Smokehouse co-founder Mike Emerson, who now lives on Maui, says countless people have reached out to ask him how to contribute to disaster relief for the Maui wildfires—the worst natural disaster in Hawaii in decades and the deadliest fire in the United States in the past century.
Emerson says that a friend of his, Havens chef-owner Zachary Sato, was approached by World Central Kitchen, a nonprofit that chef Jose Andres founded in 2010 to help feed survivors of natural disasters. Sato immediately started a GoFundMe to support the efforts, with proceeds going directly toward covering the cost of meals. At press time, over $70,000 had been raised toward the $250,000 goal; according to the GoFundMe, it costs approximately $1,500 per day to provide 500 meals to the local shelters. Emerson says Sato and team are currently preparing daily meals for the community.
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“Supplies are now starting to appear, but so far there’s not a lot of organization,” Emerson says, adding that due to prior experience, World Central Kitchen is especially well-equipped to get the meals where needed. “Zach and his team cook the meals, then transport them to the [World Central] Kitchen, which in turn distributes them in giant vehicles that can pass through the roadblocks.”
Emerson says other locally based charities include Maui Food Bank and the Maui Humane Society.
Emerson says he’s involved with Sato’s project, in addition to helping other individuals in need. “In St. Louis, due to the great team I had and the support of all my friends in the community, I was able to take more of a leadership role,” says Emerson, who moved to the island almost five years ago. “On Maui, I’m best volunteering in organized efforts and doing whatever is asked of me.”
