About Us
home
comfort
community
belonging
who we are
Pukalani Nazarene Compassion Village is a Maui-based nonprofit and Nazarene Compassionate Ministry Center serving neighbors facing housing instability, houselessness, disaster, and other seasons of vulnerability. Our mission is to provide home, comfort, community, and belonging to our island’s most vulnerable neighbors, exemplifying the love of Christ by asking a question that continues to guide our work: “Who is my neighbor?” For us, that question has never been theoretical. It has led us into the places where people need someone to show up, and it continues to shape the work today. We believe deeply affordable housing matters. We also believe a house by itself cannot provide everything a person needs to feel at home. Our work is built around relationships, practical support, shared community, and walking alongside our neighbors as they move toward greater stability.
Born Out of a Time of Crisis
Pukalani Nazarene Compassion Village grew out of Pukalani Community Church of the Nazarene’s response to the August 2023 Maui wildfires. As families were displaced and needs changed by the hour, the church opened its property and began doing what it could. People were sheltered. Food, water, bedding, clothing, hygiene supplies, and other necessities came in and went back out. Volunteers showed up. Churches, nonprofits, businesses, donors, and neighbors from across Maui and beyond stepped in beside us. What began as disaster response soon revealed a much deeper need. People needed somewhere to live. Housing became a natural extension of the work already happening. From there, Pukalani Nazarene Compassion Village began to take shape.
The Work Grew With the Need
The Village began with housing, but the needs of our neighbors have never fit neatly inside one program. Over time, the work has grown well beyond housing, allowing us to serve people throughout Maui through a wider range of compassionate ministries and community partnerships. That growth was not the result of a plan to become a large organization. Again and again, a need appeared in front of us, the Lord provided a way to respond, and people came alongside the work. We continue to follow that same approach today. We want to be available when our community needs us, willing to listen before assuming we know the answer, and faithful with whatever God places in our hands.
More Than Housing
We believe deeply affordable housing is part of the answer to Maui’s housing crisis, but housing alone will not solve it. Community will. The Village is built around the belief that people need more than four walls. They need people who know their names. They need places to gather, someone to call when things are difficult, access to support without having to navigate everything alone, and the opportunity to belong to a community rather than being separated from one. That is why we call the people we serve our neighbors. It is also why intentional neighbors, shared spaces, wraparound support, gardens, meals, church community, volunteers, and relationships are important parts of the Village. We want this to be a place where people are not defined by the crisis that brought them here. They are neighbors.
Here for Our Neighbor
PNCV has changed considerably since those first days after the fires, and we expect the work will continue to grow as Maui’s needs change. What we hope never changes is why we are here. We are here because Christ taught us to love God and love our neighbor. We are here because some needs are too great for one family to carry alone. And we are here because we believe the Church should be willing to make room when our neighbor needs a place to stand.