MEO to Distribute Funds; Public Encouraged to Donate

KAHULUI, HAWAII (March 9, 2005)—Maui Economic Opportunity, Inc. (MEO) today announced that it has received $100,000 from the Alexander & Baldwin Foundation to establish a fund to provide direct financial support to Maui residents whose place of employment was destroyed by the fire eight days ago at Kahului Shopping Center. The fund has been dubbed KEEP, which stands for Kahului Shopping Center Employee Emergency Program. The purpose of the fund is to provide temporary assistance with living expenses to those employees who are without income or have reduced income as a result of the fire. A&B and MEO will notify eligible affected employees to come in and complete the necessary documentation so the payments can be processed.

In acknowledging receipt of the grant on behalf of MEO, Gladys Baisa, executive director of Maui Economic Opportunity, Inc. expressed her deep appreciation to A&B for their generosity and desire to help those in need as a result of the fire at the Kahului Shopping Center.

"MEO has been a member of the Maui community for 40 years, and we have a long history of partnering with A&B to help the community when trouble strikes," said Baisa. "We are honored to work with them once again to ensure that we are able to reach out and help those affected by this tragedy."

“This is what we do as a community action agency. We will work hard and do all that we can to get the program running as soon as possible, getting assistance to those whose lives have been terribly disrupted,” she added.

Alexander & Baldwin Foundation President Allen Doane said, “We recognize that this unfortunate fire not only affected people’s property, but people’s lives as well. So, the A&B Foundation wanted to assist those most directly impacted—our Maui residents whose jobs were supported by this shopping center and whose families and livelihood were affected. From our perspective, the KEEP Fund is the right thing to do. And we hope others in the community will join us in supporting these employees.”

Donations to the fund from the public are also being accepted by MEO at P.O. Box 2122, Kahului, 96733. MEO’s trained case managers, who have had experience administering similar assistance programs such as the HELP program established after 9-11, will work to develop a process for disbursement.

“We are very thankful that MEO agreed to be our partner in this KEEP Fund effort,” said Meredith J. Ching, chair of the A&B Foundation’s Hawaii Committee. “MEO was our first choice of agencies to help distribute these funds; they are experienced, efficient, and compassionate, and we know they will ensure that these resources get to the people who need it the most,” Ching added.

“A&B has special aloha for Maui,” Doane added. “Our company was founded here 135 years ago and, while we have grown way beyond Maui, our first agricultural operation and our first master-planned community both are here on Maui.  Dream City and the Kahului Shopping Center were built by A&B to support the needs of the growing Maui community.”

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