Applications are now closed.

Application process will end on September 22, 2023. Notifications for the first round of approved and non-approved applicants will be sent out around October 3, 2023. We appreciate your patience as applications are reviewed.

Any interested applicants are encouraged to submit their applications by the deadline on September 22, 2023. Any applicants who do not get approved for the first round of disbursements will be placed on a waitlist and will be considered for the second round of fund disbursements scheduled before the end of the year. The Hawaii Ag & Culinary Alliance will continue its fundraising efforts for the Kokua Restaurant & Hospitality Fund and will continue to provide disbursements until funds run out.

Digital disbursement cards will be awarded on a first-come-first-serve basis to those individuals who meet the eligibility criteria outlined above. Digital disbursement cards will be disbursed electronically and sent via email. If an applicant cannot accept it through email, a physical cash card can be sent to the provided mailing address, subject to applicable fees. Hawaii Ag & Culinary Alliance will not be responsible for any lost or stolen cards.

Hawaii Ag & Culinary Alliance reserves the right to decline any application and disqualify individuals suspected of providing false information.

Hawaii Ag & Culinary Alliance is providing a one-time payment of $1,000 per person in the form of a digital disbursement card.

Employees of a restaurant, bar or hospitality establishment, ages 18 and older, whose employer has been impacted by the wildfires on Maui, spanning from Lahaina to Kapalua and Kula, are eligible to apply for financial assistance.

To be eligible, applicants must meet the following criteria:

1. 1. Have been employed either full- or part-time in the restaurant, bar or hospitality industry within the fire-impacted areas of Lahaina to Kapalua or Kula, Maui.
   2. Have suffered a reduction in income or loss of employment on or after August 8, 2023.

And provide required documentation:

1. 1. Employment verification through one of the following options:
      • • • Copy of your last paystub, which must include the pay period of August 8, 2023.
          • Copy of your work schedule that includes the week of August 8, 2023.
          • Contact information of your supervisor who can verify employment.
   2. Verification of reduction in income or loss of employment after August 8, 2023. Acceptable verification includes but not limited to: confirmation of loss of employment through your employer or approved unemployment claim.

Hospitality industry includes hotels and lodging, food and beverage service, restaurants and bars, event planning, attractions, tour operators, travel agency, tourism, retail, and agricultural sectors.

Please come back and apply after you’ve obtained all required documentation. All required documents and necessary information must be submitted together with the application form. Documents and other information emailed to Hawaii Ag & Culinary Alliance will not be accepted as a valid submission. You will need to reapply.

Yes, both hourly and salary employees, including management, are eligible to receive funds as long as they meet the eligibility guidelines and can provide required documentation.

Yes, you are still eligible as long as you meet the eligibility guidelines.

No, you will not need to report receipt of funds received to the IRS. Funds received will be characterized under the IRS’s “charitable gift status” which is non-taxable. Please consult your tax advisor for further guidance.

Please consult your benefits advisor for further guidance.

Please email [email protected]