CNN –
Oprah Winfrey and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson have launched a recovery fund for people who lost their homes in the Maui wildfires, the two announced Thursday in a video shared to Instagram.
The two stars donated a combined $10 million to launch the campaign and are inviting the public to help with the effort.
“We created the People’s Fund of Maui, which puts money directly into the hands of people who need it now,” Winfrey said, explaining that adults who lost their homes in the Lahaina and Kula fires are eligible $1,200 per year has month. This includes both homeowners and tenants.
Winfrey said the idea for the fund came from an article she read about Dolly Parton’s help to her community.
“It’s a clean direct delivery from you directly to their hands, and it’s done immediately and with real immediacy,” Johnson added.
The funds will be distributed “every month while members of our community are still in need and while resources last,” according to the fund’s website, where people can both donate and apply for assistance. “Maui residents should decide what recovery looks like for themselves, their families and their community,” the website says.
“Giving people the opportunity to have their own agency, to make decisions for themselves about what they need and what their family needs – that’s what we’re trying to convey to people now,” Winfrey said in her video message.