Jill Tokuda: “Last week on Thursday I flew to Maui to be with our Lahaina ohana as we mark the 6-month anniversary of the fires. On…”

“Last week on Thursday I flew to Maui to be with our Lahaina ohana as we mark the 6-month anniversary of the fires. On Sunday, our hearts were full and our eyes were misty as we watched our Lunas do the coin toss at the Super Bowl. Just yesterday, Maui police confirmed the identity of the 101st victim, Mr. Paul Kasprzycki. He was 76 years old. It is a stark reminder of the pain and loss that our people feel and the roller coaster of emotions our community experiences every single day. According to a preliminary study of Maui's fire survivors released last week, 55 percent of people surveyed are exhibiting signs of depression. Survivors also report higher than average rates of low self-esteem and suicidal ideation. Our people are hurting. The reality is we can clear debris, we can rebuild our schools and reopen roads, but healing the pain and the trauma you can't see but people feel, that is much harder, which is why we need to hold wellness fairs and meet people where they are. We need to make sure that the work of our Federal public health officers are supported so they can be there for survivors and frontline workers. There is a mental health crisis ravaging our people now. All of us need to be there for them, and we must do everything we can to provide all of our survivors and disaster responders with the mental health care and support they need now. Mahalo. ____________________”