In the aftermath of one of the deadliest wildfires in U.S history, Lowe's donated $1 million to relief efforts, including the American Red Cross and Lowe's nonprofit Pro customers, to provide food, emergency shelter, relief supplies and comfort to those affected by the wildfires.
While the infusion of financial assistance and supplies has already lifted local efforts, Lowe's District Manager of Hawaii, Robert Joanou, says the company's immediate and unwavering presence has provided a welcome ray of hope for associates and community members amid the destruction.
Our local community is not only blown away but overwhelmed at the fact that a big company is willing to go outside the box and take the extra steps to demonstrate that we really care about them personally. I can't even put into words the impact this has on the community. It's beautiful.
In immediate response to the wildfires, associates from the store assisted local police, fire department and community members with donations of water, propane, barbecue grills, popup tents, tarps, and many other essential supplies to help residents. Lowe's Emergency Command Center continues to expedite generators and additional emergency supplies to assist with immediate needs and support long-term recovery. In the coming days, Lowe's will distribute more than 800 27-gallon, heavy-duty storage totes filled with cleanup supplies to residents affected by the fires.
Lowe's Command Center has also deployed a 20-person Emergency Response Team to Lowe's store in Kahului to help with recovery efforts over the next two weeks.
These specially trained store associates and district leaders are voluntarily leaving their home stores from Oahu and the Big Island to provide additional customer and associate support.
This emergency response team, their sole purpose is to alleviate pressure on the store impacted. It gives the people on the island that work in that store a chance to spend time with their families and do what they need to do post-event to recover. It’s what Lowe’s does. We will do whatever we can to make the recovery process easier for our associates.
Despite the additional help, Robert Joanou says Kahului associates insist on being boots on the ground in recovery efforts while providing a much-needed sense of 'ohana' on the island.
When you come into the store, you can see a group of people standing tall, standing strong, showing resolve. We'll continue to stand together and do everything in our power to care for each other and our community.
Individuals can team with Lowe's and the American Red Cross by donating at Lowe's American Red Cross Online Donation Site.
