Maui County Resilience Hub Network
Building Community Strength for Whatever Comes
Community-Led Solutions for Emergency Preparedness
The Maui County Resilience Hub Network is a grassroots initiative that ensures communities can prepare for, respond to, and recover from natural disasters. Facilitated by Living Pono Project, this network connects local leaders, nonprofit partners, and government agencies to build stronger, more resilient neighborhoods through collaborative planning, resource sharing, and culturally grounded solutions.
The 2023 Maui fires demonstrated both the critical need for community preparedness and the power of local response. When disaster strikes, resilient communities with established networks, resources, and plans can save lives. The Hub Network ensures that every community in Maui County has the connections and capabilities to protect themselves and their neighbors.
Building Layered Resilience
The network uses a Hub and Spoke model that creates tiered, interconnected support across Maui County. This structure promotes equity, efficiency, and collaboration between rural and urban areas while decentralizing emergency response.
How It Works:
Tier 1: Resilience Hubs
Established, community-centered facilities that serve as anchors for emergency response. These hubs have physical infrastructure, trained leadership, and support services.
Tier 2: Community Spokes
Emerging sites, organizations, or neighborhoods supported by Tier 1 Hubs. They extend the reach of hub resources and mobilize neighborhood-level response.
Tier 1: Resilience Hubs
What Hubs Provide
Hubs are resourced facilities that serve as coordination centers before, during, and after emergencies.
Critical Services:
- Emergency shelter
- Food and water distribution
- Communications hub
- Supply storage and distribution
- First aid and medical support
Infrastructure:
- Solar power systems
- Water storage and purification
- Emergency supplies and equipment
- Communications equipment
- Storage facilities
Preparedness Activities:
- Training workshops
- Community preparedness planning
- Disaster scenario exercises
- Resource coordination
- Volunteer organization
Current Tier 1 Hubs in Maui County:
- Living Pono Project (Makawao and Lahaina)
- Na Moku Resilience Hub (Ke'anae)
- Hāna Resilience Hub and Community Kitchen
- Kaupō Resilience Hub
Tier 2: Community Spokes
Extending the Network
Spokes are smaller-scale sites, organizations, or neighborhoods that may not have full infrastructure but contribute significantly to community readiness.
What Spokes Do:
- Extend the reach of Tier 1 hubs to their neighborhoods
- Distribute resources locally
- Serve as information and supply gathering points
- Receive training and technical assistance from hubs
- Mobilize neighborhood volunteers
- Maintain local preparedness networks
Examples of Spokes:
Neighborhood associations, schools, churches, community organizations, or any group working to build local resilience capacity.
Benefits of the Network
Decentralized Response
Multiple community centers ready to activate rather than relying on single points of failure.
Community Self-Sufficiency
Local communities with resources, plans, and trained people to take care of their own neighborhoods.
Localized Leadership
Community members who know their neighbors leading response efforts rather than waiting for outside help.
Scalable Support
Layered network that can respond to small incidents or scale up for major disasters.
Enhanced Communication
Clear channels between community responders, government agencies, and nonprofit partners.
Equity and Access
Rural and underserved communities have the same preparedness resources as more developed areas.
Cultural Grounding
Solutions that reflect local values, relationships, and strengths rather than one-size-fits-all approaches.
Living Pono Project as Facilitator
Convening and Coordination
Hosting bi-weekly network meetings where hub leaders, spokes, and partners collaborate on planning and response.
Training and Support
Providing training, toolkits, and technical assistance to help communities build resilience capacity.
Communication Systems
Coordinating communication across sites, ensuring information flows between community level and government agencies.
Resource Development
Leading grantwriting, planning, and reporting efforts to secure resources for the network.
Equity Focus
Ensuring geographic, cultural, and linguistic representation across the network so all communities have voice and access.
Join Community Leaders Building Disaster Resilience
Resilience starts local. Connect with hub coordinators, participate in preparedness trainings, or bring resources to your community. Every voice and every skill matters in creating the safety net our island communities deserve.