Chef Zach Laidlaw - Maui Music and Food Experience 100,100th Fresh Meal Served Naiwi Teruya - Maui Music and Food Experience

Hua Momona Foundation

The Hua Momona Foundation aims to enhance nourishment, community resilience, and local recovery in Maui through agricultural education, direct food distribution, replacement housing support, mental healthcare access, and youth music programs.

About the Hua Momona Foundation

The Foundation works to improve food and water equity by empowering individuals and communities with the knowledge, tools, and infrastructure needed to become more self-reliant. Through education, workforce development, community partnerships, and practical resilience initiatives, the Foundation helps households build long-term capacity to withstand environmental, economic, and disaster-related challenges.

Within the Foundation, the Lahaina Innovation and Arts Center (LIAC) serves as a hybrid hub for both virtual and in-person workshops, bootcamps, training programs, and educational courses. LIAC was created to help establish Maui as a center for agricultural innovation by translating emerging technologies into practical, community-rooted solutions that strengthen food production, water conservation, and resilience for future generations.

Our Mission

The Hua Momona Foundation was established to serve Maui’s most vulnerable communities by expanding access to food and water security. Our mission is to strengthen community resilience through education, technological innovation, and paʻahana (hands-on work) that supports the stewardship of mālama ʻāina alongside West Maui’s farmers, youth, and families.

The Lahaina wildfires in August 2023

The Lahaina wildfires in August 2023 are the deadliest in U.S. history and devastated the Lahaina community. It will take the support of many to ensure that Lahaina is properly rebuilt with a focus on equity and centering the families from Lahaina. Please join us in this mission to restore Lahaina. Mahalo.

Foundation's Efforts and Initiatives

  • Disaster preparedness and emergency response
  • Food security and resilience education
  • Water conservation and rainwater harvesting initiatives
  • Cohort-based educational programs for youth and adults
  • Youth apprenticeship and workforce development pathways
  • Agricultural technology demonstrations and training
  • Emergency food diversion and community meal support
  • Community-based resilience and sustainability projects

Programming

  • Farm-to-Table Community Food Program: Served over 100,000 hot fresh meals to those impacted by ’23 wildfire
  • Rain to Resilience: Teaching West Maui households how to install rainwater catchment systems and farm ube purple yam
  • HYP Youth Music Program: Teaching Lahaina youth to play ukulele