The ongoing distress caused by the largest wildfire in U.S. history that devastated the Maui communities in Hawaii is felt deeply by singer-songwriter Anuhea, who has solemnly seen its impact on her hometown and its residents.

Eager to help in any capacity, Anuhea has been hosting benefit concerts and events across the country to assist Maui in its recovery. She’ll be stopping at Harrah’s Resort Southern California in Valley Center to perform on the property’s Dive pool deck on Friday, Sept. 8.

Harrah’s will donate $2 for every concert ticket sold to the Maui Food Bank and $1 for every Maui Strong cocktail sold. Anuhea will be donating all of her proceeds from selling her merchandise to the Maui Love Fund.

“People in Southern California have been so supportive of our genre of music, the island, reggae and contemporary Island Music, so this is an opportunity for us to celebrate Hawaii and to give back,” she said during a recent phone interview. “We’re definitely going to have some fun, and I’m probably going to sing a new song that I wrote about Maui for the first time live, so hopefully, I don’t cry because I get really emo on stage.”

Anuhea Jenkins, who goes by just her first name professionally, didn’t always believe music was her path despite being the niece of Nalani Choy, who is part of the famous Hawaiian female trio Na Leo Pilimehana (shortened to Na Leo).

Before college, she participated in high school theater productions and pursued film studies at Chapman University in Orange on a partial scholarship. However, she soon realized she had an affinity for music and moved back home. She played coffee shops where she could and posted her growing catalog on MySpace, which later ended up in the hands of her aunt’s manager, who helped her first album take off in 2009.

Anuhea grew up listening to traditional Hawaiian and pop music with her dad and country music from her mom, who grew up in Oregon and whose father was a country guitarist that loved performing at church.

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“We’re such a melting pot of different styles of music in Hawaii,” she said. “We just have many different inspirations and influences, and you can hear the real eclectic mix in what I would like to think my music is. It’s something for everybody at the end of the day.”

Despite the cultural mix, her music catalog heavily incorporates Hawaiian culture, such as the use of the ukulele, the state’s native instrument. Her music has strong ties to Hawaii, with tracks like “Island in Me” or “Perfect Day,” which blends three different native languages of Hawaii. The backdrops of her music videos often include sandy beaches, sunsets and tropical flowers.

With the ongoing crisis in Maui, Anuhea said she has found some comfort in seeing Hawaiian celebrities such as Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Jason Momoa boosting efforts with their massive followers to get the message out. The island solidarity was something she saw practiced at a micro level with her late father, who was a teacher and coach who mentored troubled kids in the community.

“I am trying to live in his legacy by helping others through my gift of music and making people feel like they’re not alone during whatever they might be going through,” she said. “My message to the people of Maui is we love you. You’re not alone. We got your back. This is such a terrible tragedy, and so many lives are lost, but if you look through the sadness, you can see the glimmers of beautiful aloha in every sense. So, hang in there, and we got you.”

Anuhea at Harrah’s Resort Southern California

When: 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 8.

Where: Dive at Harrah’s Resort Southern California, 777 S Resort Drive, Valley Center

Tickets: Starting at $26.50 at harrahssocal.com.