When severe flooding swept across Oahu in Spring 2026, hundreds of families faced power outages, damaged homes, and the uncertainty that follows any disaster. For pregnant women, new mothers, and families with young children, maintaining access to light, communication, and essential services became even more critical. Through a partnership with Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawaii (HMHB), Unite to Light helped strengthen recovery efforts by donating 300 Luke Lights and 75 Solar Chargers, providing reliable solar-powered light and phone charging to families as they rebuilt their lives. Made possible through the generous support of Citizen Watches, this collaboration demonstrates how trusted local partnerships and simple, resilient technology can help communities recover faster and prepare for future emergencies.
A Partnership Built Through Disaster Response
The relationship between Unite to Light and HMHB began after wildfires hit Maui in August 2023.
Working alongside Direct Relief, HMHB distributed Unite to Light’s Luke Lights and Chandler Chargers to families recovering from the disaster. During that response, it became clear that dependable light is more than a simple convenience, but a necessary resource that helps families navigate times of uncertainty and remain safe as they recover from a disaster.
The success of this initial collaboration laid the foundation for an ongoing partnership.
When severe flooding came to Oahu in the spring of 2026, HMHB didn’t hesitate to reconnect. They reached out to Unite to Light to equip their outreach teams with Luke Lights and Chandler Chargers to bring dependable light and power directly to families facing yet another emergency.
Caring for Families Means Caring for Communities
For more than thirty years, HMHB has worked to advance health equity throughout Hawaii by providing compassionate, accessible care rooted in love and community connection.
While maternal and child health remains central to their mission, HMHB recognizes that supporting mothers means supporting entire families. Their services span reproductive health, pregnancy and postpartum care, primary care, mental health services, education, and connections to essential community resources.
As they explain:
“When you take care of mothers and pregnant and parenting people, you end up taking care of the whole community. Mothers will call you to where you need to be.”
This philosophy guides their disaster response efforts as well.
Bringing Light Directly Into the Community
HMHB’s outreach teams go directly into neighborhoods, visiting existing clients while identifying new families who need support. This boots-on-the-ground approach allows them to respond quickly and personally, ensuring resources reach those who might otherwise be overlooked.
By placing solar powered Luke Lights and Chandler Chargers directly into the hands of outreach workers, Unite to Light helps extend the impact of every visit. Families receive dependable solar-powered light for homes without electricity and portable chargers that keep phones powered for emergency alerts, communication with loved ones, and access to critical services throughout their recovery process.
Powered by Partnership
Unite to Light recognizes that lasting impact is only possible through collaboration and reliable partnership.
HMHB brings trusted relationships and on the ground community perspective. Direct Relief helps strengthen emergency response efforts when disasters occur. Citizen Watch’s partnership provides the support that allows Unite to Light to manufacture and distribute light to those who need it most.
These interconnected partnerships allow for the transformation of innovative solar technology into practical tools that keep families safe and supported during some of life’s most difficult moments.
The gratitude from the community is truly solidifies this truth,
“We cannot thank you enough. People love the gift of light and such a bonus with the power bank, fueled by the sun. Definitely a hit.”
Jacquelyn Ingram, Director of Clinical Services at Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies, continued:
” People’s faces literally ‘lit up’ when receiving the chargers and lights–big mahalo all around.”
Every Luke Light and Chandler Charger distributed represents something bigger than a product. It illustrates the collective power of people, organizations, businesses, and community leaders working together to ensure that when disaster comes, families are not left in darkness.
Unite to Light is grateful to Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies, Citizen Watches, and Direct Relief for making this work possible.
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