I'm in transit to Maui right now and will be on the ground later this evening. This is a desperate crisis. Please help as you can, and see below. -- Gary

The death toll in Maui continues to climb and now stands at 106. Officials are saying that the final death toll could be much higher. Congresswoman Elle Cochran (who represents West Maui) is warning that hundreds may have died. Sadly, that total may include many children.

+ + Many children feared lost...

The Wall Street Journal is reporting, "many here fear that a large number of children left home while schools were closed are among the victims." It's all so tragic. As the fires overwhelmed the town, many children may have been home alone while their parents worked. 

The reality of what has happened here is overwhelming. This is already the deadliest wildfire in America in over a century. The flames overtook Lahaina just over a week ago, and officials are still in the early stages of assessing the devastation in loss of life and loss of homes and property.

Mercy Chefs is here. We are serving thousands of hot meals from two locations on Maui. We are working at the epicenter of this disaster in Lahaina, providing meals to victims, emergency workers and volunteers. We are meeting folks whose homes somehow were spared and others who lost everything. Some have been living under trees. Others have found shelters. Others are returning to see if they can salvage anything from their homes.

As I write, our team is still serving lunch (Maui is six hours behind Eastern Time). Dinner prep starts even before we finish distributing lunch. Your gift today will help us reach folks TODAY and tomorrow in Maui. Go here to help sponsor 10, 20, 50 or even 100 or more meals for Maui fire victims:

Every meal we serve to a Maui wildfire victim is made possible by the generous support of friends like you. Every meal carries with it your prayers and your support. And every meal extends hope because someone cares enough to provide a nutritious and delicious hot meal in the midst of tragedy.

Thank you for sending us. And thank you for your continued prayers and support.

Gary LeBlanc, Mercy Chefs

P.S. Again, I'll be arriving in Maui later this evening and will have more to share with you tomorrow. For now, please help if you can. Our team will feed thousands more people before the sun sets in Hawaii this evening. Go here:

News source: Wall Street Journal