By the Inside Outreach team · March 25, 2026On Sunday Daniel walked a property on the North Shore where six homes used to stand. All six were owned by one person and rented to six families.
In the middle of the night the houses started to crack. People woke up and felt the floor shifting. Then water started gushing in. They grabbed their kids and swam about 75 yards through rushing flash flood water to get to high ground.
The next morning three of those houses were gone. Down the river. The other three were knocked off their foundations and moved. Cars were buried under five to seven feet of mud.
Many renters had no coverage for what they lost
This is the part people don’t hear about. Even when you have flood insurance it doesn’t cover everything. And many of the families who were renting had no insurance covering their belongings. Literally everything they owned is gone.
“You really just can’t do anything but hug them and cry with them. And that’s what we did.”
Daniel Molina
We got their names. We know who they are. And we’re going to do everything we can.
Thousands of hands
Last Sunday was different. Instead of going to church, a lot of churches went out to be the church.
In Haleʻiwa, North Shore Christian Fellowship sent out more than 20 teams of 10 to 20 people from the gym in one morning. In Mānoa, Daniel and Lucy opened a resource hub at Honolulu Christian Church. Aunty Blanche turned Hui Mahiʻai ʻĀina into a drop-off.
So far you’ve given more than $20,000. Comedian Anjelah Johnson gave part of her show proceeds. Mahalo. And we need a lot more.
Are we legit?
We’re getting a lot of messages asking if we’re an official nonprofit. Yes. Inside Outreach is a 501(c)(3), based in Hawaiʻi, serving Hawaiʻi.
We are about 90 to 95 percent volunteer. We have one staff member, and he barely gets paid for the hours he puts in. Everyone else is a volunteer. That means your money goes a long way.
“We are grassroots, boots on the ground. We are Hawaiʻi-based, serving Hawaiʻi.”
Inside Outreach
After the water goes down
Getting the helpers back up
When the people who serve everybody else get hit, the whole community feels it. Kokokahi Gymnastics lost its building, so volunteers cleaned it out and moved every mat to a new space so keiki could get back to class. LauLau Solutions lost generators, mowers and livestock, and volunteers cleared their farm.
Farms across the island took a beating. The state’s agriculture department has counted about $23 million in direct losses to local farms, with more than 1,000 farmers applying for emergency relief.
How you can help
Volunteer with a hub near you. Donate cleaning supplies, water, laundry detergent and hygiene products. Support flooded families’ businesses. And give money, because money lets us buy the exact fridge or bed a family needs instead of guessing.
The water goes down in days. The damage to family budgets, farms and small businesses takes years. Families will be buying back fridges, beds and washers while still paying rent.
So here’s our ask. Don’t just help this week. Stay with us for the long haul. We’ll be here.
