MEMPHIS, Tenn. — It has been almost a month since the deadly wildfire in Maui devastated the historic Lahaina community, and as search and rescue and cleanup efforts continue, an organization from Memphis is in Maui, Hawaii, helping to provide resources to those in need.
Ben and Jessica Owen run Flanders Field and We Fight Monsters. They are Memphis natives who help those battling homelessness, addiction and helping human trafficking survivors. They have taken their help to Hawaii, supporting families displaced by the deadly wildfires.
“I've never seen something burned as completely as this,” said Ben Owen, Flanders Field and We Fight Monsters.
Jessica and Ben Owen have assisted in disasters worldwide.
“We come from the Volunteer State, if we see a problem, and there's a need and we have a way to meet that need, you're going to find us there,” said Ben Owen.
That need brought them to Lahaina in West Maui, Hawaii, to help those who were displaced with food and supplies.
“We flew in a lot of medical gear,” said Ben Owen. “We helped coordinate getting some pharmacists out to the various hubs to get them additional meds that we can't deliver ourselves.”
They stayed true to their focus on homelessness and addiction.
“Flew over from Memphis with some Narcan, some Alcoholics Anonymous big bucks and twelve and twelves. One of the big requests they had out here was getting 12-step meetings set back up on the west side of the island because they obviously all fell apart. And, you know, when you have instances like this, where everything is yanked out from under somebody, relapse and drug use, alcoholism, those can be big issues,” said Ben Owen.
It is a response they said has been met by gratefulness.
“I've never seen anything, like the people in Hawaii, like they're just so it's such a tight, tightly knit community,” said Jessica Owen. “It really shows the community and the love that these people have for each other. It's amazing. I've never seen anything like this. These people are absolutely amazing and resilient.”
Flanders Field also helped provide a stress-free day for more than 90 children displaced by the fires. That day included swimming, fishing and surfing. The organization will return from Maui after more than a week and plan to go back again to continue assisting survivors.
The death toll remains at 115 people, but there are still dozens more missing and hundreds without homes.