Creating
CHANGE
Donations and love notes from around the world
Nature is powerful, but so is the collective strength of the community. Last April, just days after Kaua‘i was pounded with inches of rain in 24 hours, the always 50 Hawai‘i Community Foundation (HCF) and key donors like Pam and Pierre Omidyar, quickly raised funds for the first of 47 grants to local nonprofits. “We are so
Yukimura.
For All… And for
blessed to have a community of donors and residents who know how to work together, help each other, and respond quickly.”
“As donations came in, we wanted to get the funding back into the community immediately,” says Darcie Yukimura, HCF’s Director Darcie Yukimura, of Community Philanthrophy on HCF’s Director of Kaua‘i. She was Community Philanthropy personally on the on Kaua‘i scene to ensure the first phase of grants helped people dig themselves out of the mud, fed them, and provided for first aid and safety needs. The second phase has focused
A little more than one year after the devastating flooding, HCF continues to support recovery efforts, distributing funding to Kaua‘i nonprofits. The total raised through Kaua‘i Relief and Recovery Fund was over $1.9 million.
on normalizing life, especially for families and children. HCF, provided funding for childcare, repairs to a north shore preschool and support for a satellite high school for students stranded behind the mud barriers.
“We had donations come in with little love notes, from all over the world,” says Yukimura. “It was amazing to experience a global outpouring of generosity to help those on Kaua’i.” Last year the Kaua‘i Relief and Recovery Fund even received a donation from Ishigaki City Council Chair Tathuyoshi Chinen. Ishigaki located in Okinwa, Japan, has had the distinction as a “sister city” to Kaua‘i since the 1960’s.
“It’s not good for anyone to live in crisis mode. So, we wanted to help normalize things, get schools back up and running, let children have a normal routine during the day,” says
But disaster recovery is not a quick or simple process. “Many people are still hurting, a lack of housing, food insecurity, jobs that don’t pay enough to make
L to R: Darcie Yukimura, HCF; Former Kaua‘i County Mayor Bernard Carvalho, Jr.; Ishigaki City Council Chair Tathuyoshi Chinen; Former Kaua‘i County Mayor, Marianne Kusaka, who first formally established the sister city designation with Ishigaki City
the rent,” she adds. “These issues were present before, and were exacerbated by the flood.” For people who have been living in that state of crisis, who already struggled to get on their feet, the prolonged stress takes a toll on their mental health. “We hope to continue supporting those in need, and to chip away at community-wide stressors that need solving.
DID YOU KNOW: People can still help by connecting with the Hawai‘i Community Foundation Kaua‘i office or learn more at HawaiiCommunity Foundation.org/KauaiRelief
To transform your generosity into lasting change, please visit HawaiiCommunityFoundation.org