WAILUKU – The Hawaii Laulima Partnership program provides financial assistance for Maui County residents to pay for essential needs due to a layoff, reduction in hours or loss of income related to COVID-19.

Assistance may be used for food, personal hygiene, medicine, rent, mortgage, utility payments, phone or Internet service, car payments and other essential needs.

Only one individual per household may receive assistance.

A qualified individual shall not possess more than $5,000 in liquid assets.

A household will be designated based on most current tax filing.

And a household shall not apply for assistance more than once in a 30-day period and cannot receive assistance more than a total of three times, or until all funds have been obligated, whichever occurs first.

Maximum assistance in a 30-day period is $500 for a family of one or two people, $750 for three or four people, $1,000 for a family of five or six and $1,250 for a family of seven and above.

Applicants must submit a completed application, copy of a photo ID, proof of layoff or reduction in hours (copy of UI filing or letter from employer), first page of their most recent tax filing and a copy of their most recent bank and savings statement.

For more information, and to apply online, go to www.meoinc.org HELP.

Individuals without Internet access may call (808) 249-2990 or (808) 249-2980 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m, excluding holidays.