01 September 2023 , 21:51
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Oprah Winfrey and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson have set up a fund to help those affected by the Hawaii wildfires.
The People’s Fund of Maui aims to make monthly payments of £950 to the thousands of victims, many of whom were left homeless last month. The chat show queen and Jumanji star donated £8million to kick off the fund. The cash will go to adults in Maui whose homes were ruined. The death toll stands at 115, with hundreds still missing.
Oprah, 69, a part-time Maui resident, said: “People being able to have their own agency, being able to make decisions for themselves about what they need and what their family needs… that’s our goal.” The Rock, 51, who lived in Hawaii as a child, added: “Even in the most difficult of times, the people of Maui come together and rise. That’s what makes us stronger.”
The money will go to adults whose homes were destroyed by the wildfires in Lahaina and Kula on Maui last month. It is available to homeowners and renters but not to owners who do not live in the buildings that were ruined. Winfrey, 69, explained the fund was created to “directly” help those who have been affected by this disastrous fire.
Fires rage on Maui (AP)“That money is going to go to one of many residents who have been displaced in Maui, we guarantee it,” she said in a video shared online. “Collaborating closely with an esteemed advisory board and support from the local community and respected elders, this new fund will serve as a bridge to provide cash directly to the families and individuals affected so that they can personally determine how best to use the funds for themselves.
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“People being able to have their own agency, being able to make decisions for themselves about what they need and what their family needs - that’s our goal,” Johnson, who is of Samoan descent, made clear every donation will go straight into the pockets of those in need.
“It is a clean direct from you directly to their hands and right away with some real immediacy because as we’re finding as you guys around the world know with disasters like this, the number one need is money … in hand,” he said.
“Even in the most difficult of times, the people of Maui come together, and we rise - that’s what makes us stronger,” the Rock, 51, said. "We are beyond grateful to be working alongside esteemed community leaders of Maui to launch the People’s Fund of Maui. These leaders are offering their guidance to ensure our fund can put money directly in the hands of those individuals most affected.”
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) has offered an initial payment of £555 for immediate needs, but many have said the money does little to help with long-term recovery. Winfrey previously faced backlash following reports that she purchased more than 2,000 acres of land on the Hawaiian island.