Oprah Winfrey has visited an emergency shelter on the fire-ravaged island of Maui to highlight the plight of evacuees.
Hawaii News Now reports that Winfrey said on her visit Sunday that it’s critical that aid gets to residents fast. The TV icon is also a part-time Maui resident.
Winfrey warned that news crews will eventually depart from the destruction, while the world will move on. But she said that “we’re all still going to be here trying to figure out what is the best way to rebuild … I will be here for the long haul, doing what I can.”
Winfrey spoke outside the War Memorial Gymnasium in Wailuku. She said she has delivered personal hygiene products, towels and water in recent days. She’s also talking to people one- on-one, listening to their stories “and letting people know that they matter.”
The Star-Advertiser, a local Hawaii newspaper, reported earlier Sunday that Winfrey and her crew had been turned away at the shelter due to a no-media policy inside. County of Maui officials later clarified on Facebook that Winfrey was able to enter after instructing the crew to remain outside, calling her visit "truly heartwarming."
"We welcome Oprah to continue to uplift our community’s spirit and give her aloha to victims of the tragic disaster," the statement said.
Recovery has barely begun from the ferocious wildfires, which destroyed nearly every building in the historic town of Lahaina and left more than 90 dead and many more displaced. Photos of the area show neighborhoods reduced to ash, with only burnt shells of cars and houses remaining.
Winfrey said the most pressing matter is finding places for people to stay. Winfrey added that her “biggest concern is having the organization that’s needed to get the money that people want to send directly to the people. My biggest concern is who’s in charge.”