‘Biggest disaster organization you never heard of’ on Kaua‘i introduces itself

The island of Kaua‘i is no stranger to disaster. Many residents survived Hurricane Iniki in 1992, which caused billions in damage and killed seven people throughout the state. Others remember record-breaking rainfall in 2018 that led to devastating floods and landslides.

But few are familiar with a key participant in the local authorities’ approach to emergency response: The Hawai‘i Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, a statewide chapter of a nationwide nonprofit established in 1970.

During its latest community forum, held Thursday, the Līhu‘e Business Association billed Hawai‘i VOAD as “The Biggest Disaster Organization You Never Heard Of.”

“It’s such a great resource for our Kaua‘i community,” said forum moderator Milani Pimental, executive director of Kaua‘i Habitat for Humanity. “I became involved with VOAD back in 2018 when we had the flooding on both the North and South shores, and was just blown away by the amazing skills and talents of our entire VOAD community.”

Hawai‘i Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster’s membership includes nearly 80 agencies, ranging from faith groups and food banks to major organizations like Habitat for Humanity and American Red Cross. The state chapter is subdivided into Community Organizations Active in Disaster located on O‘ahu, Maui, Kaua‘i and Hawai‘i Island.

The Kaua‘i COAD was last activated in April 2024 when more than two dozen homes were severely damaged by flooding. Its members, according to Pimental, continue to perform work related to that event.

One local member organization, the food nonprofit Malama Kaua‘i, undertook several tasks during the 2018 floods. One job included the operation of a crisis cleanup hotline.

“We pretty much invite everybody, because the more people that we can have helping, the better it is,” said Scott Bacon, vice chair of the Kaua‘i Community Organizations Active in Disaster.

Some VOAD member organizations and businesses, including Home Depot, contribute supplies, Bacon said. Others provide volunteers or donations.

In disaster or potential disaster scenarios, the county of Kaua‘i Emergency Management Agency will establish an emergency operations center managed by trained personnel, with VOAD working with the center through liaisons to provide aid where needed.

Short-term services could include the provision of shelter, food and man power to clear away debris left in the wake of a flood or storm.

Bacon, a scuba tour operator, joined North Shore cleanup efforts in 2018 as a volunteer representing the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

“We’re mostly focused on initial muck outs, especially floods,” Bacon said of the churchʻs charity role within VOAD. “We’re trying to get mud out of people’s houses, remove debris, help with leaking roofs, those kinds of things.”

VOAD relies on a database to ensure affected households are not inundated by redundant calls from aid organizations – a chief complaint among clients following a disaster.

During the 2018 floods, VOAD coordinated with the state department of health to transport dialysis machines to isolated North Shore patients, or transport the patients to health care facilities for treatment.

VOAD members also provide long-term recovery services. Some furnish emotional and spiritual care with therapists and nondenominational spiritual care providers. Others supply housing through partnerships with government entities, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which may set aside relief funding but requires another organization to disburse it.

Donations management also is handled by VOAD, although its importance may not be readily apparent. Well-meaning donors often send unneeded supplies following disasters, Bacon explained.

An example he noted occurred during the 2018 eruption of Kīlauea volcano on Hawai‘i Island, when large containers arrived filled with unsuitable clothing like sweaters, coats and jackets. Such donations require cleaning and sorting, pulling volunteers away from other important tasks.

“Cash is king,” said Kaua‘i Community Organizations Active in Disasters member Padraic Gallagher, the former American Red Cross disaster program manager recently tapped for executive director of the Kauaʻi Humane Society.

“It’s either man power or cash: Those are the two things that people need, because they’re going to be very specific,” Gallagher continued. “I had one specific person that needed guinea pig food. Nobody’s going to donate guinea pig food, but if you give that person a gift card to Petco, they can go buy some.”

To learn about volunteering for Hawai‘i VOAD, visit Hawaiistatevoad.org/volunteer.

For more information about emergency response on Kaua‘i, visit the Kaua‘i Emergency Management Agency webpage or Hawaiistatevoad.org/kauai-coad.