Community raising money for Northwest Missouri natives in Maui

Aug. 14—The St. Joseph community is doing its part to help those in Maui impacted by wildfires.

Local relief organizations and area residents, including Union Star, Missouri, resident Tina Cotton, are working to provide aid to a family that was once part of the St. Joseph community.

Cotton was inspired to start a GoFundMe to help her husband's cousin, Lanny Daise, who is originally from Oregon, Missouri, and is one of the people impacted by the wildfires.

Daise, along with his wife, Vashti, and daughter Seanna, lost their homes in the blaze.

Cotton said her first reaction to the wildfires was fear for her family's safety.

"I was very scared that something (bad) may have happened to Lanny and his family," Cotton said.

Getting ahold of the Daises took some time due to electricity being down and mobile towers not working due to the impacts of Hurricane Dora moving through the area.

Once cell service was available, the Daise family reached out to the Cottons and told them they were safe.

"They barely got out. They did get their animals and some of their belongings, but they had to hurry up and get out of there because it happened fast," Cotton said.

The Daise family is currently staying with friends around their area. While the family has been displaced, they are working to provide assistance to the community around them.

This is how Cotton got involved. While the GoFundMe page was started to help the Daise family, the Daises also want to help those around them.

Vashti and Seanna Daise are teachers on the island. Funds will help them give back to their students.

"They are the type of people that would give you the shirt off their back, they would do anything and everything for you," Cotton said. "They know so many students who have lost homes. They wanted to make sure everybody knew that it (the money raised) wouldn't just be for them. It would be for anyone else that might need it, because they feel like since they're in the trenches, they're going to know more than other people who will need it, especially their students."

The current fundraising goal is $20,000 for the Daise family. Cotton hopes that a higher number between $50,000 to $100,000 can be achieved.

"We're stronger as a community and coming together is what it's all about. We can just provide small things to these kids that are out there and their families," Cotton said.

Aside from individuals, relief agencies are assisting as well.

JoAnn Woody, executive director of the Greater Kansas City Northwest Missouri chapter of the American Red Cross, said there are three volunteers from the chapter assisting on site in Hawaii.

Woody said any kind of donation can go a long way in providing much needed supplies.

"Five dollars, that's a blanket. $10 is a meal ... $20 is meals for two people in a family," Woody said. "Those little small increments, every one of those makes a difference. Every one of those will add up and we'll see the benefit of that for those who have been affected."

Those looking to assist affected people in Lahaina can visit https://www.redcross.org/.

Riley Funk can be reached at riley.funk@newspressnow.com.