The Hawaii Catholic Community Foundation has appointed longtime community development specialist Toni Rojas as its director of Maui Disaster Relief.
“We are fortunate to have a professional with a deep commitment to community service and more than 25 years of experience in working with nonprofits and volunteers to lead Catholic wildfire recovery efforts on Maui,” said Msgr. Terrence A.M. Watanabe, pastor of St. Anthony Church in Wailuku and vicar forane of Maui and Lanai.
Rojas added, “I have family and friends who were personally affected by the Maui wildfires, so this recovery effort is deeply personal for me. I welcome this opportunity to leverage my skills and experience to help our community on the road to recovery.”
The position of director of Maui Disaster Relief was created to support the efforts of Catholic Charities Hawaii and the 11 parishes on Maui to aid in the recovery of the Lahaina and Kula communities, which were severely impacted by wildfires on Aug. 8.
In response to the devastating wildfires, Maui parishes have already rallied to provide assistance to those affected, including food, water, shelter support, monetary donations and spiritual health and wellness. The Hawaii Catholic Community Foundation, in collaboration with St. Anthony Church, has been at the forefront of offering spiritual guidance and financial recovery aid directly to individuals and families affected by the wildfires.
Rojas previously worked as chief marketing officer at the Maui Ocean Center from September 2019 to December 2022.
She may be contacted at trojas@rcchawaii.org, or 808-244-4148, ext. 227.
