Some of the residents who were displaced by the Lahaina wildfires on the Hawaiian island of Maui in August are beginning to feel some relief as Oprah Winfrey and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s People’s Fund of Maui has begun to disperse multiple rounds of payments.
In a Reddit forum, several people claim they received their first $1,200 deposit in September and a second one, of the same amount, this month.
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However, regardless of the number of payments, the funds come at a crucial time for those in the throes of rebuilding their lives.
“Yeah the 1200 i got really helped alot since one job laid me off and other job reduced my hours so i couldn’t get any kind of help like unemployment, food stamps, etc,” wrote one person impacted by the devastating natural disaster.
Another person who expressed gratitude for the financial assistance commented, “Yep! It took several weeks but it’s happening! They even said we’d get multiple payments!” The Hollywood juggernauts took a pummeling after asking the public to donate money to the relief fund when it was announced in August.
Both Winfrey and The Rock donated $10 million each. Detractors, however, still suggested that the billionaire mogul and multimillionaire actor had enough money and wealthy friends to not rely on the citizens, some of whom are living check to check, to pitch in.
Winfrey addressed the backlash in mid-September when she appeared on “CBS Mornings.” The media maven said she felt villainized and terrorized by the criticism. “All of the online, you know, being slammed, attacked, lies, conspiracy theories, really took the focus off of what was the most important thing, and that was the people of Maui,” said the veteran talk show host.
Critics frustrations were renewed in early October when outcry from Maui residents revealed that despite The Rock celebrating the release of the first round of relief funds, thousands of people still had not been helped. The Rock publicly apologized for the shaky rollout and on Reddit, he and Winfrey continued to be applauded for lending a helping hand.
Another said it was “Unbelievable that they took so much backlash from Karen’s getting offended on behalf of others.”
“The amount of BS misinformation and backlash for Dwayne and Oprah is ridiculous. These people are amazing and have done so much for so many people. Did everyone see Dwayne’s public apology? Genuine, heartfelt, and pure,” wrote a resident who supports the stars’ philanthropic efforts.
“The Color Purple” producer and “Jumanji” actor hopes that the People’s Fund of Maui will have enough funding to provide vetted displaced residents over the age of 18 with $1,200 payments for six months.
However, with additional donations, the aid could be extended as the island recovers from the devastation. More than 9,000 people have submitted applications in hopes of receiving assistance.
