.png)
There are plenty of reasons to love living on Maui. There’s the obvious: Breathtaking natural beauty, perfect weather, a slower pace of life, and outdoor activities galore.
But there’s something else that sets it apart from the rest: A deep sense of community.
Here, residents go the extra mile to help one another, regardless if they are next-door neighbors or total strangers. Whether it’s joining a search effort for a lost pet, raising money for a child battling cancer, or helping a family pick up the pieces after a devastating house fire, Maui residents embody what it means to be part of a caring community. There are many ways you can get involved. Here are just a few.
Become a Volunteer
Want to make a difference—but not sure where to start? The County of Maui Volunteer Center maintains an online directory of volunteer opportunities, everything from building homes with Habitat for Humanity to playing Scrabble with a hospice patient. There are also many nonprofit organizations on Maui that need regular volunteers, as well as board members.
Foster a Shelter Animal
The Maui Humane Society is the island’s only open admission shelter and provides services to animals and humans alike. Volunteers are always needed to provide temporary care for foster animals who aren’t ready for adoption or when the shelter is full. You can also sign up to walk, bathe, groom, or play with the animals at the shelter, take a dog on a beach outing, or lend a hand at a pet adoption events.
Join a Canoe Club
Outrigger canoe paddling is a sport that melds tradition, tenacity, and teamwork, and if you think it’s solely reserved for seasoned athletes, think again. Maui has several canoe clubs whose members come from all walks of life and have varying skill levels. Many clubs, including Lae‘ula O Kai and Nā Kai ‘Ewalu, encourage first-timers to give paddling a try and provide opportunities for members to build camaraderie on and off the water.
Join a Rotary Club
If you’d like be part of a community-minded group, consider becoming a Rotarian. Maui has 10 Rotary clubs to choose from. Club members meet regularly, socialize at fundraisers and special events, and participate in a range of service projects, including awarding scholarships to college-bound students, distributing dictionaries to third graders at local schools, sponsoring electronic recycling events, and installing lifesaving rescue tubes at local beach parks.
Help Keep Maui Beautiful
A beach, ocean, or park cleanup is equal parts fun and rewarding. Mālama Maui Nui (in Hawaiian, mālama means “take care”) is a nonprofit organization that engages the community in litter prevention, recycling and beautification efforts. Among other things, the nonprofit hosts cleanup campaigns throughout the year and volunteers are always needed. You can also organize your own. Just pick the spot and Mālama Maui Nui will provide the tools (like trash pickers, gloves, bags, and buckets) you need for a successful cleanup.
For Kids:
Maui offers community-building opportunities for kids, too. Located at Paia Bay, the Paia Youth & Cultural Center (PYCC) offers a variety of social, educational, cultural, vocational, and recreational activities. Its structured clubs and programs include radiOpio (PYCC’s kid-operated radio station), the Paia Bay Café (a life skills cooking program), and StoneWave Skate Park. PYCC membership is free for kids ages 9 to 19.
Maui also has six Boys & Girls Clubs, collectively known as the Boys & Girls Clubs of Maui, that serve more than 9,000 youth annually through after school and summer programs. Club members between the ages of 9 and 17 years old (some clubs serve kids as young as six) have an opportunity to develop social skills, express themselves creatively, participate in sports, and have fun—all in a safe place.
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)