University of Hawaiʻi Maui College students and visiting international Esports teams have been preparing for the assembly of gift baskets for the first residents of the new affordable housing development in Lahaina. Many of the new and prospective residents were displaced by the 2023 wildfires, and the 200-unit Kaiāulu o Kūkuʻia is the first new permanent housing development on the island since then.
CVS Health, the parent company of Longs Drugs, in collaboration with UH Maui College, Hunt Capital Partners and ThirtyOneFifty Management, donated “welcome home” gift baskets to the residents featuring dozens of home necessities from cookware, broom sets, and towels, to air purifiers, water filter pitchers and children’s night lights.
“I am so proud of our students, who are committed to helping to rebuild our community,” said Chancellor Lui Hokoana. “We also appreciate the generosity of CVS in providing all the essentials for these gift baskets.”
Gift basket assembly by UH Maui College students, faculty and staff, and delivery for the first 40 residents was scheduled for December 18. Nearly 90 units are expected to be occupied by the end of December, and the remaining residents are expected to move in over the next several months.
“While equitable access to stable housing is one of the barriers to better health, ensuring residents have the support they need to succeed is also critical to improving overall health outcomes and promoting health equity,” said Keli Savage, head of impact investment strategy at CVS Health.
