Community hub and volunteer helicopters deliver aid to Hurricane Lala victims in Hawaii's Kaʻū District

A community hub in Hawaii's Ocean View has served 1,000 daily meals since Monday after Hurricane Lala, while volunteer helicopter drops reach about 18 isolated families.

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The reliance on privately organized helicopter runs highlights how volunteer general-aviation resources can fill gaps in disaster relief when ground access and infrastructure fail.

A community hub in the Kaʻū District's Ocean View area has been operating since Monday to help residents affected by Hurricane Lala and will remain open as long as needed. Hope Diamend Ministries, which lost its tent in the storm, is serving 1,000 meals a day regardless of weather; Sunday's meal service was disrupted when some Kona restaurants closed or drivers would not make the 1.5-hour trip to Ocean View in stormy conditions, prompting volunteers to coordinate with other groups bringing hot food, and the service was held on an old lava field. Several residents are living in their cars with no access to goods or services, and power has been out in the area for more than a week. "We don't have a church, we don't have a building, we don't have anything, but don't stop and we are here for the community and we are here for the people," said Myya Auld of Hope Diamend Ministries.

Volunteers are also organizing private helicopter drops to reach isolated homes lacking water, food, or supplies. Musician Kahi Young, who had never flown in a helicopter before, is now delivering goods to about 18 families in need, describing one family of nine with a 2-year-old and a 5-year-old down to four bottles of water. Helicopter flights were grounded Sunday due to expected rain over Hawaii Island, with volunteers saying they would resume drops once conditions allowed.