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ou may have already heard the statistics. In Hawai‘i, roughly half of families are struggling financially, despite working one, two or three jobs – because a family of four needs a household income of $78,420 to afford the basics. The percentage of those who struggle on Hawai‘i Island is even higher. The Asset-Limited, Income-Constrained, Employed (ALICE) Report, published by Aloha United Way, provides a glimpse into the financial details for households in our state. The study has consistently revealed that a large percentage of Hawai‘i residents earn above the federal poverty level, but below the cost of living. These families have difficulty affording necessities like housing, food, child-care, health care, and transportation. “I’m often asked why ALICE families don’t apply for assistance – it’s because they don’t qualify for any,” Janice Ikeda, Kuamo‘o of Vibrant Hawai‘i Island, who has convened stakeholders across districts and disciplines to start working toward solutions for the island. “These folks earn too much to get help, but not enough to get by.” At this critical juncture between Hawai‘i Island’s rich past and uncertain future, Vibrant Hawai‘i Island was born from a shared necessity. Since launching last year, the movement has already grown exponentially, learning from cultural traditions, finding opportunities in evidence-based practices, and staking out common ground between diverse interests. Now, because of Vibrant Hawai‘i Island, everyone can easily participate in improving the collective well-being of our island. There are regular community conversations that lead to collective action to better the overall economic situation, education, housing and a host of other issues in each community. Interestingly, how Hawai‘i Island measures “vibrancy,” “wellbeing” and “wealth” isn’t limited to finances. What’s meaningful is financial capital balanced with social, natural and human capital. For example, Puna faces big financial challenges. But many Puna residents believe they have the best community, with strong reciprocity and ‘ohana. True success, for a community like Puna, means that everyone can be involved in changing things for the better, and everyone is able to thrive. “We needed to build a hui,” says Roberta Chu, a senior vice president of Bank of Hawai‘i and member of Hawai‘i Community Foundation’s (HCF) Board of Governors. “Government and subsidies are not the solution. We must help each other, rather than anyone doing it separately. Our community thrives on that mentality. It’s our identity.” “As we met with nonprofit groups, businesses, and government, it
The Puna Vibrant Hawai‘i group, one of many groups that met to discuss taking action toward creating an island where all can thrive.
“This gives us hope that where we grew up is a place where we can all afford to raise our children, maintain our lifestyle, and thrive together.” - R O B E R T C H U , M E M B E R O F H AWA I ‘ I C O M M U N I T Y F O U N D AT I O N ’ S ( H C F ) B O A R D O F G OV E R N O R S
was evident there’s no shortage of folks doing good work,” says Ikeda. “We had the opportunity to convene stakeholders across districts and disciplines, build awareness, will, and strategies from the foundation of our shared values, and identify mutually reinforcing action to amplify impact.” “We don’t have to agree on every issue, but let’s agree on where we are heading, so we can look back and see how far we’ve come,” says Carol Ignacio, long-time community advocate. The Hawai‘i Community Foundation’s Hawai‘i Island staff, and leaders like board member Roberta Chu, have been passionate supporters of Vibrant Hawai‘i’s efforts. The movement shares more than a few similarities with the HCF CHANGE framework, which also works to create a thriving Hawai‘i through collective action. “Use whatever gifts you’ve been given,” Chu adds. “Be part of the solution. Hawai‘i Community Foundation and Vibrant Hawai‘i are putting in place CHANGE that will have a big impact. It gives us hope that where we grew up is a place we can afford to raise our children, maintain our lifestyle, and thrive together.”
Learn how to transform your generosity into lasting change at HawaiiCommunityFoundation.org