URGENT Relief for Pamela Pollandʻs Maui Family

Hi, my name is Linda Wolf. Pamela Polland is one of my soul sisters. We met in 1966 when she was Queen of the Gentle Soul Band. She was so kind to me, a 16-year-old budding photographer, who stayed weekends at the Gentle Soul House, on Marmont Lane. In 1970, both of us were invited to be on the Joe Cocker Mad Dogs & Englishmen Tour. We've stayed friends, ever since, and in 2015 met up again when Derek and Susan Tedeschi Trucks invited the alumni of JCMD&E to do a reunion concert. Often since 2015, Pamela and I would carry on long talks by phone as she took walks in the Kula neighborhoods early in the morning.

As you are all aware, Tuesday, August 8th, an apocalyptic fire destroyed historic Maui and razed homes to the ground in Kula. Pamela's rental house and property were decimated, but she is as ok as someone can be in such a situation. It is a miracle that her main home is still standing while around her the other houses were burned to the ground. You can imagine the horror as she discovers her family and close friends who have lost everything and some are homeless now. No work, no home, no possessions. It's just beyond imagination though -- all the work now that must be done and no time to even grieve. Everyone scrambling, so much need everywhere. So much to do and so many to care for, and Pamela has just been informed that her main house has been declared a health hazard and was told to be prepared to be displaced for six months. So now she is looking for a place to live as close to home as possible with her cat. It’s just such an endless avalanche of devastation.

We need help from family & friends and have turned to Gofundme to gather together as much money as we can as soon as possible to begin to cover the expenses that are urgently needed.

Here's the thing: According to Pamela, FEMA, The Red Cross, and the other relief organizations are focused on Lahaina and none of that money is going to the people in Kula - 12 of whose homes were burned to the ground on Pamela's road. This fundraiser is specifically for them. If you can help, please consider donating any amount. Immense gratitude to everyone from the smallest gift to the largest. If everyone can give a little, we can make our goal in no time. Thank you from the bottom of all our hearts.

For anyone gifting $50, Pamela is offering downloads of her Hawaiianized album. And for anyone gifting $300 or above, we will have a limited supply of unautographed iconic photos from the JCMD&E tour, which I'll personally print, plus a limited number of autographed photos and/or t-shirts from friends such as Taj Mahal, Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi Trucks, Bonnie Raitt, and other iconic musicians who have offered to help in this effort, plus limited copies of Linda's book, Cocker Power -- all in great thanks for your generosity.

Here is a personal note from Pamela to you.

Some of you may know me as a musician, some of you may know me as one of the background singers on the famed Joe Cocker: Mad Dogs and Englishmen Tour, some of you may know me as a long-time Maui resident since 1976, and some of you may know me as your host for a vacation rental that you may have booked some time in the last 10 years.

By now, I’m sure that all of you know our beautiful island of Maui has suffered a devastating crisis. Wildfires destroyed the entire town of Lahaina, and have taken countless lives, with the body count still rising every day. Wildfires also took several neighborhoods as well, and mine was one of the hardest hit. On my street alone, 10 or 11 houses were burned to the ground including my beautiful vacation rental, Kula Jewel.

My other vacation rental, Kula Treat, has suffered severe fire and smoke damage. I am one of the fortunate people with insurance, so I’m not asking for anything for myself.

But I have several VERY close friends and family members who are RENTERS who lost their homes and everything in them. We were all asked to evacuate at a moment’s notice. Some of my family members left so fast, they even left their wallets.

They have lost EVERYTHING. We all have friends we can stay with for the short term, but my close friends and family need clothing, toiletries, food, money for everything essential, and eventually money to replace precious things like musical instruments, and above all money to find more permanent places to live. I know there are many relief funds you can contribute to.

Please know that this one goes directly to individuals in immediate need. No contribution is too small. Thank you so much for your kind hearts. Much aloha from Maui! Pamela

These photos are taken yesterday, August 12. They are of me at the site of my burned-down house in Kula and Jim and his daughter Jo who both lost their homes on 8/8/23. These photos were taken in front of Jimʻs house. That pile is all that remains of my gorgeous three-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath home with wrap-around decks. And a photo of the fire department tanker pumping water into the swimming pool on my property so that a helicopter can come to pick up buckets of water from the pool to pour on burn sites where fires are still raging.

Your help will never be forgotten.

Please be advised: gofundme will take a % of your donation if you do not notice there is a slider indicating whether you want to give all your donation to this fundraiser or a % to gofundme.