LU Graduate leads group of students to provide aid in Hawaii
Jasmine McKeever graduated from Liberty University in 2020 and 2023 with her B.S. in Graphic Design with a Minor in Cinematic Arts and an M.A. in Promotion and Video Content. Additionally, she is employed as a Communications Coordinator within the Office of Development at Liberty. Jasmine recently had the opportunity to go to the island of Maui, Hawaii to offer disaster relief aid after the massive wildfire that took place in early August.
When Jasmine heard the news of the wildfires in Maui, she was heartbroken and felt the need to provide any services she could to the community. She reached out to LU Serve to see if there would be a group sent to Maui for relief. Thankfully, LU Serve did plan on sending a disaster relief team and Jasmine signed up as a leader. There were ten students and two leaders, including Jasmine, who were sent through LU Serve to the island. They partnered with Samaritan’s Purse and Hui Homes to build tiny homes for the people displaced by the wildfires. Jasmine said about the experience, “It was a beautiful picture of human beings coming together as one to be there for those in need, no matter where we all came from or the stage of life we’re in.”
Jasmine brought back inspiring and hopeful stories from her time in Maui. The team was able to sift through the remains of a civilian police officer’s home in order to recover any personal items in the debris. Even though not everything could be recovered, Jasmine was moved by how grateful the people were for the help offered to them during a difficult time. Samaritan’s Purse provided bibles for the volunteers to hand out to the people of Maui. Jasmine recalled a woman who teared up after being handed a bible. The woman revealed that her own bible had been lost to the fires. Now, she has a new bible with notes written by the volunteers inside to encourage her.
Each night, LU Send members would share stories they experienced that day. Many of the stories were filled with sharing the gospel with the community. Some individuals came to Christ after hearing and seeing the love of Christ through the volunteers.
Jasmine is incredibly grateful to the organizations that partnered with them in disaster relief: Samaritan’s Purse, Hui Homes, and River of Life Mission. Furthermore, she thanks the students and her co-leader who came to the island with her in order to serve the Maui community in their time of need.
“I can’t thank God, Liberty University, and LU Serve Now enough for making it possible for me to have this amazing opportunity to fulfill my desire to help the people of Maui. Maui no ka oi (Maui is the best).”
