Oprah Winfrey lent a helping hand to wildfire evacuees in Maui on Thursday (August 10th), as the famous talk show host was spotted handing out pillows and other supplies at the War Memorial Stadium in Wailuku.
“I came earlier just to see what people needed, and then went shopping,” she said in a video shared by the BBC. “I actually went to Walmart and Costco and got pillows, shampoo, diapers, sheets, pillowcases.”
The Color Purple actress added, “It’s a little overwhelming.” Winfrey is a part-time resident of Maui.
On Friday (August 11th), Jason Momoa shared a video to Instagram discouraging people from traveling to the island. “Maui is not the place to have your vacation right now. DO NOT TRAVEL TO MAUI,” he wrote in the caption. “Do not convince yourself that your presence is needed on an island that is suffering this deeply. Mahalo to everyone who has donated and shown aloha to the community in this time of need.”
Blue Crush actress Kate Bosworth expressed grief over the natural disaster on Instagram Sunday (August 13th). “The islands of Hawaii have been my second home since I was 18 years old. The sand, the ocean, the wind, the palm trees, the waves are as much a part of me as anything else in my life,” she wrote.
“This is a place of purity, of warmth, meditation, peace and love. Watching the brutal devastation that has taken place in Maui is utterly heartbreaking. The suffering of the people and the annihilating loss of the majestic land is brutal and horrifying,” Bosworth added. She also shared resources and ways that people can help.