Media mogul Oprah Winfrey and Dwayne Johnson have donated $10 million to establish a fund that will give direct cash assistance to Maui residents displaced by catastrophic wildfires that destroyed hundreds of homes on the island.
The Peopleās Fund of Maui will give $1,200 a month to adults who are not able to return to their primary residences because of the recent wildfires, including people who owned and rented their homes, according to the fundās website. The fund will also seek donations to extend the length of time it can provide the support.
āHow do we help?ā the āYoung Rockā star said he and Winfrey asked each other during the wildfires, saying in a video released along with the announcement that they grappled with how to best direct their efforts. āYou want to take care of the greatest need of the people, and thatās giving them money.ā
They are looking forward to the help of āevery person who called me and said, āWhat can I do?āā Winfrey said in the video. āThis is what you can do.ā
Winfrey, who lives on Maui part-time, visited an emergency shelter on Maui in the days after the wildfire hit and worried about effectively getting resources to residents. At least 115 people were killed in the fires, though an unknown number are still missing. The fire that ripped through the historic town of Lahaina on Aug. 8 was the deadliest in the U.S. in more than a century.
In the announcement, Winfrey and Johnson said they consulted with ācommunity elders, leaders and residents including HÅkÅ«lani Holt-Padilla, Kealiāi Reichel, Archie Kalepa, Ekolu Lindsey, Kimo Falconer, Tiare Lawrence, Kaimana Brummel, Kaleikoa Kaāeo, Brian Keaulana, Kaimi Kaneholani, Henohea KÄne, Paele Kiakona, Ed Suwanjindar, Shep Gordon and Jason Momoa.ā
Watch the announcement below.