Claudia Garcia of Maui International Real Estate Services cofounded Upcountry Strong small group of neighbors from Makawao. They started holding food drives in early 2020 for the kupuna at Hale Mahaolu. We officially received our non-profit status in December of 2020. We utilize non-profit and private business resources to provide food to Upcountry residents in need.

When the wildfires devastated Maui, we expanded our mission to include broadly supporting the Upcountry community. This means that we provide direct and indirect aid to those affected by the wildfires - those displaced by the Upcountry fires, those Upcountry helping to house survivors of any of the wildfires, those Upcountry who lost jobs due to the fires, etc. Our primary focus has shifted back again to eliminating food insecurity. We also provide support to other groups who are doing the work.