Despite President Joe Biden's recent pledge of $95 million to help rebuild Maui's infrastructure and celebrities, including Dwayne Johnson, Oprah Winfrey and Jason Mamoa, launching a "People's Fund of Maui" and contributing an initial $10 million to give directly to residents in need, Ani still feels uneasy. She hopes Maui will not be forgotten as "America, and the world for that matter," focus on the next major tragedy. 

"Oh, it's absolutely one of my biggest fears," said Ani, who returned to her homeland from Los Angeles where she is an aspiring actress, to help with the recovery. "What happened to us here should be treated in the same vein as 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina. Please don't forget about us. We need help. Continous help!"

Tambara Garrick, who has been volunteering 14-plus hours a day in Lahaina and surrounding areas since the fires, shares similar sentiments. Garrick said she's "beyond exhaustion," hoping that Maui residents don't become "out of sight, out of mind" when it comes to getting assistance from all corners.

"Honestly, I'm so tired, but I can't give up," said Garrick, a marketing officer for Maui Gold Pineapple whose downtown Lahaina offices were gutted by the fires. "We're just getting started."

Across Maui, many residents are worried about being abandoned this week as the island marks one month since the deadliest wildfires in the United States in more than a century. The fires killed at least 115 people, destroyed more than 2,200 structures and caused an estimated tens of billions of dollars in damage. An investigation is underway to determine what initially sparked the wildfires.