Hawai‘i Gives Back Magazine

THE SPIRIT OF PHILANTHROPY

S H I N I N G A L I G H T O N E X T R AO R D I N A RY N O N P R O F I T S AC R O S S H AWA I ‘ I I N PA R T N E R S H I P W I T H H AWA I ‘ I C O M M U N I T Y F O U N DAT I O N

HAWAI‘I Gives Back1

Together, we are strengthening the resilience of Hawai‘i.

Since the pandemic hit Hawai‘i’s shores, those who have the ability to give have given generously to meet the ever growing needs in the community. Thanks to our donors, millions of dollars in relief funds have been rapidly deployed to Hawai‘i’s communities statewide in the past several months through the Hawai‘i Resilience Fund, County Strong Funds and the Stronger Together Hawai‘i Scholarship Fund.

PPE to vulnerable populations and essential workers

Emergency food relief

Rent, utilities and other essential financial support for families

Quality childcare for keiki

and more!

Support for kūpuna through grocery, prescription dropoffs and regular wellbeing check-ins

Strengthening of community-based food security for Native Hawaiian communities

Scholarships to 2020 Hawai‘i public school graduates

To learn more about supporting Hawai’i’s communities impacted by COVID-19, visit HawaiiCommunityFoundation.org/HGB

THE SPIRIT OF PHILANTHROPY

ABOUT THE COVER ARTIST Hawai‘i based artist and designer, Lauren Roth, has been creating for as long as she can remember. Her artwork is a unique combination of watercolor, acrylic, ink, and paint markers. Dreamy colors and organic shapes, layered on textured surfaces, invite the viewer to explore her intricate interpretations of life, where one quickly discovers the labor of love Lauren puts into each piece she creates.

The support of the arts, and the strong sense of community in Hawai‘i, is something that is very important to Lauren.

In 2018, Lauren opened her first brick and mortar shop in the beautiful town of Kailua, O‘ahu. The store features all of Lauren’s original paintings, and exclusive product line, as well as a collection of local art. In 2019 her sister gallery opened in Japan under the name Lauren Roth Japan. www.mynameislauren.com @laurenrothart

DAWN HIRAYAMA | Publisher dawnh@hawaiimagazine.com • (808) 534-7561 POWELL BERGER | Editor powellberger@me.com • (808-722-7762 CATHERINE TOTH FOX | Contributing Editor catherine@hawaiimagazine.com • (808) 534-7577 ELROY GARCIA | Copy Editor ELENA BRAGG | Creative Director elenabragg@gmail.com KAYLA RIVERA | Art Director kaylar@hawaiimagazine.com • (808) 534-7592 AARON K. YOSHINO | Photographer aarony@pacificbasin.net CAROLYN HYMAN | Advertising Director carolynh@hawaiimagazine.com • (808) 534-7183 MICHELLE OKADA | Advertising Project Manager michelleo@hawaiimagazine.com • (808) 534-7560 SCOTT SCHUMAKER | President CHUCK TINDLE | Audience Development Director

DUANE KURISU | Chairman and Chief Executive Officer SUSAN EICHOR | President and Chief Operating Officer BONNY AMEMIYA | Chief Financial Officer

aio Media Group 1088 Bishop St., Ste. LL2, Honolulu, HI, 96813-3113 T: (808) 534-7500 • F: (808) 537-6455

In partnership with The Hawai‘i Community Foundation, HAWAI‘I Gives Back celebrates the work done by organizations, donors and individuals across the state — giving back, helping neighbors, and making Hawai‘i the special place we call home. Mahalo to HCF for its support of this publication and for all its work creating, cultivating and executing CHANGE in Hawai‘i, making possible the thriving, sustainable communities we deserve.

Give Where Your Heart Lives Giving Tuesday is December 1st Give Big Hawai‘i is HONOLULU Magazine’s online local fundraising initiative designed to spark Hawai‘i’s charitable spirit. Support the movement with an online donation on Giving Tuesday, December 1, 2020.

givebighawaii.com | #givebighawaii

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HAWAI‘I GIVES BACK | 2020

FEATURES

+ IN THIS ISSUE

34

Transformative Giving: Hawai‘i’s Next Generation of Philanthropy Philanthropy is in the blood.

These next generation donors are looking to change the way we think about giving and showing they care about Hawai‘i’s future.

12

41

Doing the Work Giving comes in many forms.

See how these four—a donor, a foundation, a doer and a philanthropist— are making Hawai‘i a better place.

Joining Hands and Scaling Up to Feed Hawai‘i’s Food-Insecure Hawai‘i’s public and private institutions partner in unprecedented ways to solve one of the most wicked problems of all: a pandemic-related sharp increase in hunger.

15

Solutions for Kai (Nearshore Ocean), and Wai (Fresh Water): Steps to a Sustainable Hawai‘i Creative approaches to achieving resource resilience add up to a better future for our Islands.

18

The Help the Helpers Need Coronovirus had demanded a lot of our nonprofits. Now they need our help to do the work they desperately need to do.

20

Hawaii Data Collaborative: Tracking the Coronavirus and the Federal Funding A nonprofit makes it easier to cut through the pandemic fog and make decisions with data.

23

Women Supporting Women Re-entering the Community When the Fernhurst program faced headwinds in June, the community rallied behind them, supporters coming from across the state and the Mainland to save a vital program.

26

Kōkua Kalihi Valley Keeping kūpuna holistically healthy, at home.

29

From Homeless to Hopeful: Stronger Together Hawai‘i Scholarship The pandemic was not the hardest part of Christian Fernando-Alonzo’s past 12 months.

32

A Constellation of Giving: Donors Make a Challenging Year Hopeful Whether through kindness or a donation—there are many ways to give in Hawai‘i.

Hawai‘i Community Foundation knows that every action makes a difference.

78

Coming Together to Do the Right Thing In the midst of a crisis, people stepped up to help. Just a few acts of kindness that Hawai‘i has been lucky enough to have seen.

DE PARTME NTS

AARON K. YOSHINO, COURTESY OF ALOHA ANIMAL SANCTUARY

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Mission statement: what IS HAWAI‘I Gives Back?

9

Letter from Hawai‘i Community Foundation

10

What a Great Idea!

A round-up of several great ideas, nonprofits that are changing the landscape of Hawai‘i.

54

Finding Your Cause A directory of Hawai‘i charities and how you can support their worthy cause.

81

What Cause Should I Give to?

How do you find out what cause fits you? Take the quiz.

M I S S I O N S TAT E M E N T Hawai‘i Gives Back celebrates the spirit of philanthropy in Hawai‘i.

We shine a light on the many extraordinary nonprofits across the state doing good work because it’s the right thing to do. Most of these organizations work within tight budgets trying to meet extreme needs. They depend on the generosity of their donors and the hard work of their volunteers to fulfill their missions, whether that’s housing and employment for those in dire straits, child care for essential workers, or food for hungry keiki.

But there’s more. These nonprofits are beacons of hope, whether they’re looking to create a sustainable Hawai‘i or working to cure cancer. They envision a future of greater equity and community, places where people come together and look to the future and make it better.

We hope you’ll celebrate with us, and maybe along the way, find your place in our community’s spirit of philanthropy.

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HAWAI‘I GIVES BACK | 2020

A LETTER FROM

Hawai‘i Community Foundation What a year this has been. At Hawai‘i Community Foundation, we started 2020 with our CHANGE framework firmly in place. No one could have known how much it would be needed—or how much it would serve as a baseline for all that has followed.

The framework uses a common set of data to identify Hawai‘i’s strengths, gaps and opportunities in six essential areas: Community and economy, Health and wellness, Arts and culture, Natural environment, Government and civics, and Education. The idea is that by using common data, aligning and connecting people and resources, we can solve Hawai‘i’s greatest challenges.

In late 2019, our CHANGE data told us that just 38% of Hawai‘i’s jobs paid a living wage, or more than $20/ hour. Half of single adults in Hawai‘i earned less than $34,730. COVID-19 has moved those numbers sharply in a direction that none of us want. The CHANGE framework pointed out fragile fault lines. The pandemic has cracked some of those wide open.

But the framework also highlights Hawai‘i’s many strengths. One of them is this place, and its incomparable beauty and natural diversity that needs better protection. Another is our foundational culture, with values of ‘ohana, embracing diversity and the ability to work together, even when opinions or the roadmap to achieve our goals may not always perfectly align.

I believe that moments of crisis also offer clarity. COVID-19 has brought greater urgency to the need to galvanize our communities to transform systems in ways that create a more resilient economy and society, that is equitable, sustainable, and provides the opportunity for all of Hawai‘i’s people to thrive.

Our islands have faced many challenges, and we have never failed to come together to overcome those challenges and rebuild. We are facing what many people would call our biggest challenge yet.

This year, we have come together again. From the youngest to the oldest, individually and as whole organizations, donors have stepped up and given of their time and their resources. They did so because they knew that nonprofits were already in the right places to see gaps and fill them, and to catch people before they fell through the cracks.

I want to thank you all, whether for your willingness to lean in and help with your time and talent, or if you donated to our community.

One thing the pandemic has taught us, yet again, is that long-term, large-scale change can’t be achieved alone. It has to be done together. And in the service of that goal, we need to lock arms and walk forward as one.

We can do this. We’re already doing it today.

Micah Kāne CEO & President Hawai‘i Community Foundation

HAWAI‘I GIVES BACK | 2020

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What A

Great Idea!

BY POWELL BERGER

T

Pōpolo Project “One of the things that most struck us about the Pōpolo Project is that they just put it out there,” GIFT’s Sasaki says, choosing the sometimes pejorative term that’s been used to identify Black people in Hawai‘i. Dr. Akiemi Glenn, the project’s executive director and a linguist, explains that the word choice was intentional.

“Pōpolo is a great starting point,” she says. In Polynesian culture, it is also the name of a medicinal plant, “so important to the community that the Polynesian island voyagers brought the plant to Hawai‘i in their canoes.”

For Glenn, everything revolves around context — the history of the word and its deep meaning and connectivity over the generations and the deep history and experiences of Black Americans. “The Hawaiian language gives us a chance to put Hawai‘i culture at the forefront of Black-ness here,” she says.

Their mission is to redefine what it means to be Black in Hawai‘i, and in turn, what it means to be Black in the world. While only 2% of Hawai‘i’s population is Black, she points to several disparities that make clear the challenges the Black community faces. “Maternal health of Black women and their babies, for example, experience the highest mortality rate by far,” she says. And while the common perception is that it’s linked to low economic status, Glenn points out that the state’s Black community is largely professional people who’ve relocated to Hawai‘i and can afford its high cost of living.

The Pōpolo Project produces education materials and multimedia content and hosts community gatherings that look to create new narratives about the experiences of being Black in Hawai‘i. Glenn is broadly recognized for her voice on these issues, most recently being quoted in the New York Times article, “Want to Be Less Racist? Move to Hawai‘i,” and moderating a program sponsored by the Pōpolo Project with widely acclaimed writer Ta-Nehisi Coates at the Honolulu Museum of Art. Above: dancers from Sewa Fare at summer concert series Saltwater People, 2019.

Left: community member pounding poi.

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HAWAI‘I GIVES BACK | 2020

LALA OPENI, EDWARD HEMPHILL

his year, we turned to the GIFT Foundation, covered in our feature story, Transformative Giving (page 34), to feature a few of its favorite nonprofits doing unique and inspirational work throughout our communities. “What’s cool for us is that many of these organizations are not well known when they come to us for funding, and then a few years later we see them in the news, gaining traction,” says Matt Sasaki, a GIFT board member and head of the beneficiary committee.

Like every nonprofit in the time of COVID, the GIFT Foundation had to pivot. With no epic party this year, board members worried they might not hit their fundraising goal of $200,000, much of it promised to The Pantry and the Domestic Violence Action Center (DVAC) for much-needed technology. But that worry quickly vanished: Board members went to their longtime donors for help, and people stepped up. The board itself created a matching donation, and developer Brookfield Properties matched the match. At press time, donations were still rolling in, but the GIFT Foundation had reached its once elusive goal.

Now, DVAC has an app designed so that clients in abusive situations can discreetly text for help and support, critical during COVID when the abuser is likely in the same room. The Pantry is also launching an app that allows it to collect more data about clientele and to more readily partner with other organizations around the state in support of those facing food insecurity.

Sustainable Coastlines Hawai‘i Inspired by a similar program in New Zealand, Sustainable Coastlines Hawai‘i was founded in 2010 with a mission to put beach cleanup in the community’s hands, and have some fun and learn some stuff in the process. It’s working. The group has removed over a half-million pounds of debris, mostly plastics; amassed over 30,000 volunteers; and held educational programs for over 42,000 keiki.

Now it’s reaching further. Realizing that shipping that debris to the Mainland for upcycling created unwanted environmental impacts, it’s partnered with Bishop Museum to stand up an upcycling plastic processing center that takes not just water bottles but all plastics, as well as a classroom for educational programs for keiki and families. Two shipping containers are being retrofitted to accommodate both programs, on-site at the museum, and the center is expected to open in March 2021.

The group also looks to leverage open-source technology that allows it to upcycle all types of plastics, which can then be pushed through a 3D printer to create items as large as furniture. Its goal is to eliminate plastics entirely—in essence putting these upcycling facilities out of business—so it’s counting on the next generation, the keiki, to understand the damage and eventually put an end to single-use plastic entirely.

Aloha Animal Sanctuary

RAFAEL BERGSTROM (@RAFTOGRAPHY), COURTESY OF ALOHA ANIMAL SANCTUARY

Aloha Animal Sanctuary is Hawai‘i’s first and only rescue center and sanctuary for farm animals. Located on several acres in Kahalu‘u in Windward O‘ahu, the sanctuary is home to almost two dozen residents, including goats, chickens, ducks, and several 600-plus pound pigs. Before being rescued, some of the animals had been malnourished, abandoned and left to die.

Running the sanctuary takes a lot of work, and a lot of volunteers. They work in shifts seven days a week, feeding and caring for the animals and tending to the maintenance and upkeep of the property.

The sanctuary partners with numerous groups to get the job done, including at-risk youth organizations, adults with disabilities and others—and staff members welcome families and organizations to visit and meet the residents.

The sanctuary received a grant from the GIFT Foundation so it could construct “a place for humans,” as its director, Anchi Howitz, calls it, a gathering area to get out

of the rain, host meetings, and do various administrative work. The sanctuary already had a goat palace, pig barn, and space for ducks and chickens, but folks there realized they needed a place for people too. Thanks to GIFT, now they have one.

Surfrider Spirit Sessions Bringing at-risk young people out to experience the wonders of the ocean and the world around us is at the heart of Surfrider Spirit Sessions. Before COVID changed everything, the group held “core sessions” in the spring, summer and fall. These half-day sessions, held over eight consecutive Saturdays, are expected to resume postCOVID and include surfing instruction, group activities and journaling. Malama ‘āina beach cleanups are part of each session, and the organization pairs each youth with a mentor.

The program is free to all qualified youth, ages 10-18, referred by the courts, probation officers, caseworkers, counselors, or other youth service providers.

HAWAI‘I GIVES BACK | 2020

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COMMUNITY

Joining Hands and Scaling Up

to Feed Hawai‘i’s Food-Insecure Hawai‘i’s public and private institutions partner in unprecedented ways to solve one of the most wicked problems of all: a pandemic-related sharp increase in hunger.

BY HAWAI‘I COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

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HAWAI‘I GIVES BACK | 2020

U

HAWAI‘I COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

ntil earlier this year, Honolulu’s Aloha Stadium and its parking lot hosted joyful big events: football games, concerts, the swap meet, high school graduations. None of those were possible at press time, but the stadium has still been needed. It’s one of the only venues large enough for the mass distributions of food to the public organized by the Hawai‘i Foodbank since the coronavirus pandemic began. On distribution days, up to 4,000 cars wait in line to receive trunkloads of food.

In May, one of the people in one of those cars was William Sison, formerly a plant engineer with Meadow Gold. Sison, laid off because of the pandemic, waited in line with his wife and adopted 2-year-old daughter. It was his first time at a food distribution center. “I am grateful—but I don’t like to take, take and keep taking without being able to give back,” he said.

“That is how I am: If you going help me, I going help you. I pay back—but kind of hard right now.

Life sometimes is just not fair but we gotta do what we gotta do.”

Sison is not alone. “Many of these families have never raised their hands in their lives,” says Ron Mizutani, president and CEO of Hawai‘i Foodbank. He says the food bank surveyed those in line, and at each distribution, “between 78% and 83% of those people in line had been directly impacted by COVID.” On Maui, Richard Yust, executive director of the Maui Food Bank, witnessed a similar scene at the Maui Food Bank’s own food distribution sites: “Probably a good majority of those people have never had to ask for food assistance.

These people have worked their whole lives, never gone a week without a paycheck. And now, it’s been months without a steady paycheck.” Neither Hawai‘i Foodbank nor Maui Food Bank have ever operated at anything like this scale. “There is a whole new demographic of people that we’re serving,” says Yust.

In Hawai‘i, with wages significantly lower than national averages and costs for basics like housing and food much higher, it’s difficult for a working family in the Islands to save for a rainy day. The Aloha United Way’s ALICE Report for 2018 (ALICE stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) estimated that 42% of Hawai‘i families were employed but didn’t earn enough to meet basic necessities, putting them a paycheck or two away from disaster. Yust says that families have had to choose between paying for rent and utilities, and buying food: “People just don’t have the money for food.

They want to keep a roof over their heads and the lights on, and [the money] is gone.”

Demand for food support has been at record highs throughout the pandemic. In March, the Hawai‘i Foodbank saw a 25% increase in year-on-year demand. The April year-onyear increase shot up to 85% as mass layoffs hit, leaving Hawai‘i with the highest rate of unemployment in the nation.

Above (top): Food bank boxes aren’t standard—they’re Hawai‘i style. Local food banks sourced food from local producers, farmers, ranchers and fishers, and Hawai‘i Foodbank volunteers and staff packed quality Island staples like Sun Noodles for distribution recipients.

Above (bottom): William Sisson Opposite page: Food bank purchases of local products have helped keep Hawai‘i farmers afloat, providing a measure of food security for the state.

HAWAI‘I GIVES BACK | 2020

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COMMUNITY

Since the beginning of the pandemic, food distributions have taken place around the state. At King’s Cathedral in Kahului, cars lined up beginning at 5:30 a.m. for an 8:30 a.m. start.

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HAWAI‘I GIVES BACK | 2020

“You guys are going to need this a lot more than I need it,” a donor said, donating his COVID stimulus money to the Maui Food Bank.

took hold and Hawai‘i’s economy shut down, the Bank of Hawai‘i Foundation made a $3 million donation to the Hawai‘i Resilience Fund of the Hawai‘i Community Foundation.

Of those funds, $1 million ($750,000 to O‘ahu and $250,000 to the Neighbor Islands) was earmarked for targeting hunger. The Hawai‘i Community Foundation then joined forces with Hawai‘i’s counties to create innovative public-private partnerships to match these resources. Says Mizutani: “We could not have gotten through the first few months of this without philanthropy. They carried the day.” P

Volunteers and distribution partners stepped up to the plate all over Hawai‘i.

At Lahaina Baptist Church, Maui Food Bank boxes are passed from hand to hand.

A box of food from Maui Food Bank can include pantry staples, locally grown produce, and protein like fresh ground beef from Maui Cattle Co.

MAUI FOOD BANK

But in May, Mizutani says, the demand for food support “just exploded.” In May of 2019, the Hawai‘i Foodbank distributed 972,000 pounds of food. In May of 2020, as people ate through their pantries and burned through their savings and backup resources, that number quadrupled to 3,498,000 pounds distributed.

Mizutani has been present for every one of those distributions. They are intense days.

“When you’re on the line, you can tell people are very emotional,” he says. “Some of them are crying, thanking us with tears—and then there are those who don’t even make eye contact and are uncomfortable about receiving assistance.”

But Mizutani has also been surprised. The Hawai‘i Foodbank started to prepare for the pandemic in February, looking at how things unfolded at food banks in Asia for their cues.

The demand ensued as expected, he says, but he also thought volunteers would be hard to come by, as they had been at many Asian food banks.

Instead, he says: “We never lost our volunteers. They kept coming. And no businesses stopped coming. They asked, ‘How can we help? How can we be a part of this?’ It was amazing. It was something that I don’t think Asia saw, and maybe even [other] parts of America.”

On Maui, Yust was surprised by the number of $1,200 donations received by the food bank— the exact amount of the federal government’s COVID-19 stimulus relief. One man walked up to the food bank with $1,200 in cash and handed it over, saying simply, “You guys are going to need this a lot more than I need it.”

But what made food distributions possible on this scale, says Mizutani, was the publicprivate partnerships that sprang up in rapid response to the crisis. When the pandemic

SUSTAINABILITY

SOLUTIONS FOR KAI (NEARSHORE OCEAN), AND WAI (FRESH WATER):

Steps to a Sustainable Hawai‘i Creative approaches to achieving resource resilience add up to a better future for our Islands »

BY HAWAI‘I COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

HAWAI‘I GIVES BACK | 2020

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SUSTAINABILITY

L

iving sustainably—responsibly stewarding local resources so a community thrives over the long term—was once part of every successful Island community.

Water, both fresh and salt, is at the heart of a sustainable Hawai‘i. These two new waterfocused initiatives aim to create a resource use system that is both abundant and wise.

KAI: MARINE 30X30 For Hawai‘i residents, the ocean has been many things, including playground and passageway.

But few realized how much we depend on food from its nearshore waters until 2018, when Conservation International released a study on Hawai‘i’s nearshore reef fisheries, both commercial and noncommercial. CI estimated that Hawai‘i’s nearshore fishers, the vast majority of whom are fishing for their families and communities, harvest about 1.2 million kilograms of food a year. That translates to more than 7 million meals. The health of the seas is closely tied, not only to ecosystem equilibrium, but to the health of many Hawai‘i households. As CI’s Jack Kittinger has said, “We are starting to realize that if these fisheries continue to decline, it will have a real impact on food security.”

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HAWAI‘I GIVES BACK | 2020

WAI: FRESH WATER Hawai‘i’s Fresh Water Initiative has a simple goal: to add an additional 100 million gallons per day to Hawai‘i’s potable water supply capacity by 2030. Convened by the Hawai‘i Community Foundation in 2013 and currently supported by 10 additional funders, the initiative was created to bring a coordinated effort around this fresh, drinkable water.

Hawai‘i has an abundant supply of aquifer water, particularly on O‘ahu, but any resource can be spent down. The first Board of Water Supply in Hawai‘i was created to solve a water crisis in the 1920s, when artesian wells were allowed to run freely; some were beginning to salt up, others were running dry causing shortages and rationing.

HOLLADAY PHOTO, COURTESY OF KUA‘ĀINA ULU ‘AUAMO

Participants in the 2015 annual network gathering of Hui Mālama Loko I‘a pass pohaku (stones) during a work project to restore the kuapā (fishpond wall) at Huilua Fishpond in Kahana, O‘ahu. “KUA supports community-based natural resource and marine management initiatives across Hawai‘i that are rooted in traditional ecological knowledge, indigenous science, and Native Hawaiian values,” says KUA communications coordinator, Kim Moa. “These grassroots efforts to care for Hawai‘i’s biocultural resources are critical in helping the state achieve our Marine 30x30 targets.”

Hawai‘i’s Marine 30x30 Initiative is lead by the State of Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources and is part of a global network of initiatives to protect 30% of ocean habitats by the year 2030. To reach its part of that goal—sustainably managing 30% of the Islands’ nearshore waters by 2030— Hawai‘i will draw on both cultural knowledge and science.

Achieving 30x30 is a complex process that will involve getting many diverse voices— communities, fishers, legislators, government and philanthropists—to the same table to make decisions that work for both the community and the resource. In 2015, after more than a decade of work and support from the local community, Gov. David Ige signed into law Hawai‘i’s first Community-Based Subsistence Fishing Area, or CBSFA, in the waters off Hā‘ena on Kaua‘i. The Hā‘ena CBSFA ensures the sustainability of nearshore ocean resources through customary and traditional Native Hawaiian fishing practices, limits on harvesting of marine life, and the establishment of a refuge for the protection of juvenile fish. When the Board of Land and Natural Resources approved the rules in 2014, Keli‘i Alapai, a lifelong Hā‘ena resident and one of the Hā‘ena fishers who worked on the rules, explained in a press release: “We are simply asking that when you fish in our community, you respect our traditions and the way we fish.

These rules are about feeding our families and our ability to pass on our traditions to our children and grandchildren.”

In Hawai‘i’s aquifers, our freshwater drinking supply floats in a lens over heavier saltwater. The thickness of the freshwater lens reflects how much water is in the aquifer. These numbers show the effects of unregulated use—and how much of a difference effective policies and initiatives can make.

FRESHWATER LENS THICKNESS AT PEARL HARBOR AQUIFER • •

•

Above: Honolulu Board of Water Supply well head at the corner of Beretania and Lisbon Streets (undated).

HONOLULU BOARD OF WATER SUPPLY

With Hawai‘i’s population doubling since 1959, and annual rainfall decreasing by at least 18% over the last 30 years, HCF convened a council of diverse stakeholders to ensure the sustainability of Hawai‘i’s potable water supply used for drinking, gardening, washing cars and dishes and more. While each stakeholder was well-versed in different aspects of Hawai‘i’s water supply, a common goal was needed.

Having a philanthropic partner like HCF, which could facilitate the discussion, was critical, says Barry Usagawa, program administrator for the Water Resources Division of the Honolulu Board of Water Supply: “Up to that point, everyone was doing their own thing. There were users, protectors, developers—all these different aspects. We needed all the stakeholders to sit down, learn about each others’ perspective, and then find common ground.”

Ernest Lau, manager and chief engineer for the BWS, adds that the momentum lent by philanthropic involvement helped identify and clarify common ground that had been elusive.

In government, he says, “we are not really set

1878: 1,599 feet (estimate) – The year before the first artesian well was drilled on O‘ahu.

1951: 1,025 feet 2003: 615 feet – In the mid-1990s, the Honolulu Board of Water Supply began a multipronged conservation effort. Municipal water use began to drop, despite population growth of 1% per year, and the freshwater lens level began to rebound.

2015: 677 feet

up to work cross-functionally. We’re siloed for a reason; we have important mandates we have to make sure we follow. But the philanthropic community is dynamic. They have a strong sense of mission, and [in this case] were providing the funding where we can put pencil to paper and come up with a solution.”

Working together, the council created three ambitious 2030 targets that would collectively add up to 100 million gallons per day of additional available drinking water. They are: • Conserve 40-plus million gallons per day, encouraging Hawai‘i resident to use 15% less water • Recharge 30-plus million gallons per day, capturing more rainwater in aquifers by protecting watershed areas and improving stormwater retention • Reuse 30-plus million gallons per day, doubling the amount of wastewater being treated and reused to irrigate parks and crops, conserving more potable water “There is no life without fresh water,” notes Lau. “I think everybody realizes that.” P HAWAI‘I GIVES BACK | 2020

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COMMUNITY

The Help the Helpers Need

W

BY POWELL BERGER

hen COVID forced our communities to a sudden stop — and people worried about their health, their jobs, and their ability to care for their families — every nonprofit in the state gathered (often on Zoom screens) to figure out where they were most needed. And they went to work.

What wasn’t immediately recognized was how COVID would impact those who deliver the help. Financial support comes in different ways to these groups, and for many, that support came to a stop as well. But our nonprofits are deeply committed and they kept going anyway, trusting they’d find a way.

We highlight just a few here, and we encourage readers to reach out to them and other nonprofits to offer support. The helpers need our help.

“Despite the trying times of this pandemic, our communities have come together to support one another. Across Hawai‘i, local businesses, nonprofits and volunteer groups have stepped up for our keiki and kūpuna, providing food, housing assistance, and other help directly to Hawai‘i residents. We all need to do our part to help one another.

Our food banks have been a critical lifeline during the pandemic and I have advocated for millions in coronavirus relief funding for Hawai‘i programs that provide food assistance to help families struggling during these financially challenging times.”

— U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono

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HAWAI‘I GIVES BACK | 2020

» Domestic Violence Action Center We’ve seen the signs over H-1 that say “Safer at Home,” but that’s not always the case for families experiencing domestic violence. DVAC has seen its calls increase sixfold, from 519 contacts in April 2019, to 3,038 a year later. “With a stay-athome directive in place and courts traffic greatly reduced, there are fewer opportunities to provide much needed, lifesaving support and information,” says Nanci Kreidman, the center’s CEO. Compound that with deep funding cuts coming before the end of the year and Kreidman worries how she and her team will continue to offer much-needed services, including legal representation, financial assistance, support groups, crisis intervention, and so much more.

“We are facing some dire budget situations,” she says, “and we need ways to organize, mobilize and verbalize that all programs (anticipating funding cuts from state and local grants) are not equal.”

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ACTION CENTER SNAPSHOT OF SERVICES: APRIL 2019 VS. APRIL 2020 Apr. 2019

Apr. 2020

Contact with Clients

519

3,038

Safety Plans

692

1,066

Helpline Calls

180

230

Legal Information*

1,041

708

Referrals for Community Assistance*

1,112

701

*With Courts closed due to Covid-19, and Safe on Scene no longer in operation, there have been less opportunities in April 2020 for DVAC to provide information and referrals on site.

» YMCA When the Y shuttered its services because of COVID, decimating revenues, the organization doubled down: It looked at the immediate needs of the community and how it could help.

“Since early March, we’ve shifted our focus and resources to address our community’s most critical needs, including providing safe child care for working parents and free healthy meals for children in need,” says Mike Broderick, president and CEO. To date, the Y has served more than 100,000 meals, and is serving as a collection hub for personal protective equipment for distribution to health care and social service workers.

It’s also providing food box deliveries to homebound seniors and transitioning many of its in-person services to a virtual delivery system that includes everything from at-risk teen counseling to livestreamed exercise classes and health and well-being workshops.

But it’s come at a steep cost. “Like many nonprofits, we’re experiencing a devastating drop in our financial revenue,” Broderick says. “To control costs, we’ve had to furlough more than 80% of our staff, and are left with a small number of resourceful staff

members.” Funding from the state, city, private foundations, and business is essential for the Y to continue its work. Broderick is especially grateful to people who’ve continued their memberships despite the closures. “Their membership fees keep our facilities open and our small but mighty group of staff members on board to continue serving our community.”

Check out “Find Your Cause” on page 54 for a directory of nonprofits who could use your help.

» Food Banks and Delivery Services Across the State

COURTESY OF YMCA OF HONOLULU, GETTY IMAGES

Demand has far outpaced what food distribution systems have traditionally provided. As reported on page 13, the Hawai‘i Foodbank distributed 972,000 pounds of food in May 2019, compared to nearly 3.5 million pounds in May 2020, emptying its pantries, savings and backup resources.

While other organizations shut their doors, food banks on every island remained open, cobbling together resources to meet the need.

Now, Hawai‘i food banks need our help. While food drives and donations are appreciated, financial donations make the most difference, allowing the organizations to buy in bulk, stretching their dollars to feed those who need help right now.

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DATA

HAWAII DATA COLLABORATIVE:

Tracking the Coronavirus and the Federal Funding A nonprofit makes it easier to cut through the pandemic fog and make decisions with data.

BY HAWAI‘I COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

W

hen you are sailing through uncharted waters—and all waters for the foreseeable future are uncharted—it’s good to have access to every decision-making tool available.

One of the most powerful of these tools is data.

Over the past few decades, data –and the analysis of that data—has provided nonprofit and for-profit institutions a solid foundation for decisionmaking as well as the opportunity to openly share information with the public.

Enter The Hawaii Data Collaborative (HDC), which was founded to make data “more accessible, relevant and meaningful” to the people of Hawai‘i. When COVID-19 hit, the collaborative worked overtime to make sure data was part of the picture for everyone.

The group has built COVID-19 dashboards that have become go-to sites for decision-makers.

One of HDC’s most talked-about tools is its Hawai‘i COVID-19 federal funds tracker, created in partnership with, among others, the U.S. House Select Committee on COVID-19 Economic and Financial Preparedness. Hawai‘i has been awarded $9.2 billion in federal funds to respond to the coronavirus pandemic.

Without the tracker, it would be “really hard to get a handle” on the moving dollars, says Beth Giesting,

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director of the Hawai‘i Budget and Policy Center of the Hawai‘i Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice. “The Hawaii Data Collaborative has stepped to the fore and is providing an easy way to understand information about where the gaps are.”

Giesting adds that the HDC’s tracking will allow the public to monitor not only whether the money is being used, but if it is being used in line with community values and priorities. “What I hope is that we will see whether this funding is actually being spent on the purposes that are most important to us right now,” she says.

HDC is not trying to replace the human element of decision-making, Redding emphasizes; instead, it aims to provide relevant information to help inform those decisions at all stages of the process. “The data allows us to ground [the decision-making], and test it,” he says.

And more of it is needed, says Giesting: “Hawai'i doesn’t have nearly enough data available. We are increasing all the time in transparency—and yet there are so many things that are vitally important for people to know that either you can’t get to, it is not available to the public, or if you can get to it, it’s too hard to understand and make use of.”

Nick Redding, HDC’s executive director, emphasizes the direct path between access to reliable, user-friendly information and the public’s

Nick Redding, HDC’s executive director

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DATA

UPDATING ALICE One of Hawai‘i’s most significant social well-being datasets is Aloha United Way’s (AUW) ALICE Report, which tracks the proportion of Hawai‘i residents who are “assetlimited, income-constrained, employed.” In the most recent ALICE Report, released in 2018, 42% of Hawai‘i residents were at ALICE levels of income or below. These are individuals who are working but are still struggling to survive in Hawai‘i.

The Hawaii Data Collaborative has predicted that by the end of 2020, the percentage of Hawai‘i households that can’t make basic expenses—from childcare to transportation—could dramatically increase, to 59%. With data, the scope of the problem has been unveiled—and solutions are needed now and fast.

well-being. “We are [often] seen either as a data consultancy or as a policy center or a think tank,” says Redding.

“Instead, I would hope people see us as a social-change organization, focusing on the role that data analysis can play in improving the well-being of families and communities in Hawai‘i.”

Redding and others at the HDC are hopeful that the pandemic will be a catalyst for change. “I think [this period] is making the case for data,” he says. “It could be the shock to the system that presents us with an opportunity to shift what’s normal about decision-making.

Look at media stories today … when have we ever talked so much about data in addressing a challenge for our society?”

Redding reflects on the earliest days of 2020, before the pandemic, when no one anticipated all that was to follow.

He says he hopes HDC can help prepare Hawai‘i for the next disruptive event: “Let’s get it right when there’s not a crisis, during peacetime. Let’s work on data flows, norms of data sharing, and building capacities, so when these things hit, we’re ready to go.” P

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“We are [often] seen either as a data consultancy or as a policy center or a think tank. Instead, I would hope people see us as a social-change organization, focusing on the role that data analysis can play in improving the well-being of families and communities in Hawai‘i.”

—Nick Redding, HDC’s executive director

ADVOCACY

Y WCA FE R N H U RST WOM E N ’ S FU R LOUG H PROG R AM

Women Supporting Women Reentering the Community When the Fernhurst program faced headwinds in June, the community rallied behind it, supporters coming from across the state and the Mainland to save the vital program.

BY POWELL BERGER

A

COURTESY OF YWCA OF O‘AHU

s parents pivoted to care for their children while working from home, masks became an essential fashion accessory, and shelves were inexplicably bare of yeast and toilet paper, the breaking news that the Fernhurst Women’s Furlough Program was in danger of being shuttered landed as the bridge too far. Phones rang, emails and text messages flew, and people across the state organized—sending a loud message to lawmakers, the Department of Public Safety, and their neighbors that this essential program saves lives and families. It must not go away.

Fernhurst is the only women’s furlough program in the state, providing a home and an array of critical wraparound services for incarcerated women slated for release. It’s a place where women start to heal, reconnect with their family, and begin the journey of building a life beyond prison bars. Kepola Dudoit, a graduate of the Fernhurst program and a YWCA employee, knows that struggle personally. “Women are in survival mode, even before prison, and then in prison, we have mental health issues,” she says. “When we come out, we have so much guilt and shame.

But when we get to Fernhurst, we feel safe, and the trust barriers start breaking down.”

Homebase at Fernhurst (pictured above) is offered as an extended affordable housing option for women who complete the Ka Hale Ho‘āla Hou No Nā Wāhine furlough program.

HAWAI‘I GIVES BACK | 2020

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ADVOCACY

Fernhurst is the only program to offer wraparound services such as counseling, job search support and readiness, life-skill coaching, professional attire through its Dress for Success program, and help reuniting with family. “We come out of prison with nothing.

Nothing. Just the clothes we went into prison with,” Dudoit says. “Dress for Success gives us confidence, we know we’re going to look good at our job interview, and our counselors work with us on how to fill out the application, how to talk during the interview.”

When word spread that Fernhurst was in danger, volunteers stepped to the plate, even launching an online petition to save the facility. “We didn’t know about the petition until volunteers alerted us,” says Noriko

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COURTESY OF YWCA OF O‘AHU

The YWCA has had a longstanding history and presence in local communities on O‘ahu dating back to the early 1900s.

Namiki, YWCA CEO. “We hoped it might get maybe 2,500 signatures,” just to get a sense of how important the public perceived the program to be. Just over a week later, it had more than 160,000 signatures, the governor’s office and legislators were flooded with letters and phone calls, and local media had taken notice. Namiki had her answer.

The thinking behind the Department of Public Safety’s decision to revoke the YWCA’s program contract is still unclear. With word spreading and public attention focused on the program, the department informed Namiki it would remove the seven women in residence early, the next day. “It was heartbreaking, but yet their resilience was so positive,” says Dudoit. “They could have run, but they were positive and were going to do what they were told to do.”

When the women loaded into the van early that morning, Namiki recalls each one looking her in the eye and saying, “I’ll be back.

Hold my bed.” And they were. The situation was unfolding in full view of the public, and program supporters rallied at the state Capitol to denounce the move. Then, after seven long, difficult days, the state Legislature stepped in with a bill to save the program. The women were returned to Fernhurst.

Namiki recalls waiting in the early morning air for the van’s return, slated for 6:30. Around 8 a.m., she recalls, the van turned onto the street leading to the facility, and cheers erupted from the women in the van and staff members on the street, many of them waving signs from the rallies. “We could even see the van almost shaking, as the women stomped their feet and waved their arms as it pulled up,” Namiki says.

The women were welcomed home, each receiving a rose before shedding their prison sanctioned sweats for their own clothes, still hanging in their rooms. Before they’d been taken away, they’d talked with their employers, explaining the situation as best they could. Their employers had held on to their jobs, so within a day or two, the women were back at work, back in their counseling and group classes, and reconnecting (again) with their families.

The long-term fate of Fernhurst still hangs in the balance as we go to press, but Namiki

“We were very humbled by the response. It was so much more than we’d ever hoped for. I’ve never had anyone fight for me this way, fight this hard. When things get tough, as they are now, I try to remember those moments. Things can happen, but don’t give up hope.” —Noriko Namiki, YWCA CEO

COURTESY OF YWCA OF O‘AHU

and the Fernhurst team now know they’re not in this alone. When there’s a crisis, people speak out. “We realized we were creating a lot of new donor records in our system,” says Cara Mazzei, the YWCA director of development and communications, of those two weeks and the weeks that followed, “and many new requests to receive our newsletter and ask how to get involved.”

Says Namiki: “We were very humbled by the response. It was so much more than we’d ever hoped for.” Namiki reflects the sentiment so many of the women shared with her: “I’ve never had anyone fight for me this way, fight this hard.” As Namiki navigates the future of Fernhurst and balances the needs of the many women she serves, she reflects back on those weeks, often. “When things get tough, as they are now, I try to remember those moments,” she says. “Things can happen, but don’t give up hope.” P HAWAI‘I GIVES BACK | 2020

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KUPUNA

HAWAI ‘ I G IVE S BACK :

Kōkua Kalihi Valley Keeping kūpuna holistically healthy, at home.

BY HAWAI‘I COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

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K

ōkua Kalihi Valley, a federally qualified community health center that has served Kalihi Valley since 1972, defines health as much more than medical care. For KKV, “health is wholeness,” involving movement, laughter, learning, and the health of the land. Primary among these is social connection.

“Everything we do is face to face,” says Merlita Compton, director of KKV’s beloved elder program. For many of KKV’s seniors, the regular exercise sessions and events were a lifeline to friends, activity, fresh air, and caring community.

When the stay-at-home order rolled out, the senior programs had to stop. “They all became homebound,” says Megan Inada, KKV’s research and evaluation coordinator. The seniors served by KKV are especially vulnerable. Not only do many have preexisting medical conditions and fragile or nonexistent support systems, 98% of them are low income.

When existing regulations around telehealth evolved, KKV acted fast. With a grant from the Hawai‘i Resilience Fund of the Hawai‘i Community Foundation, the health center created a pioneering telehealth and social service check-in program to keep its senior population not only healthy and safe, but connected, both virtually, and—from a safe distance, using appropriate PPE—in person, if needed.

KKV’s new weekly health-andwellness-check program serves more than 300 kūpuna. It begins with a 30- to 45-minute phone call that aims to assess health and wellness and determine needs for health testing, food, supplies, medical care, and assistance. “We want to connect them to the goods and services they need, and also connect them with the resources they need,” says Inada.

Top: Seniors are the highly susceptible to COVID-19—but also to loneliness and isolation.

Here, KKV maternal child care health director and public health nurse Sarah Bauer teaches the Elder Care teams proper use of PPE. Bottom: Kokua Kalihi Valley supports a whole-community approach to health. The center’s Roots Café serves healthy, affordable food sourced through local farms and partners. Right now, it’s takeout-only.

HAWAI‘I GIVES BACK | 2020

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KUPUNA

The calls help seniors feel cared for, and that caring connection might be the most valuable thing of all. Inada says it can make all the other assistance possible: “What’s been the most helpful is Merlita and her crew’s relationship with the patients. Right away, when [patients] pick up the phone and they hear their voices, they’ll start crying. They’re so thankful: ‘I’m so glad you’re calling! I thought you’d forgotten about me.’ It’s that relief, to hear a familiar voice. If it had been any other person, those barriers might have been too difficult to overcome to get the care they needed.”

During the calls, KKV’s teams also teach seniors how to be telehealth patients, should the need arise. It’s not easy when many are hard of hearing or have vision troubles, and 92% speak English as a second or third language. What helps KKV’s kūpuna through?

Compton has a simple answer: “Trust.”

After the weekly phone check-in, if necessary, KKV’s teams put together and deliver customized packages that can include a hot meal, medicines, preferred fresh foods, and even traditional medicinals like ‘olena

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(turmeric), long prized in the Pacific for its therapeutic qualities. If ‘olena goes in, they’ll tuck lemons in the bag, too, for tea. “It’s good for their health,” Compton says.

KKV’s educational materials are custommade for their population. That personalized approach has been a success with the diverse kūpuna in KKV’s care. All told, staff members speak 29 languages, and they know each senior.

This pilot program is one of the first of its kind and could become a model for other organizations like KKV. Says Inada: “We’re really excited about the work. Of course, everyone wants this [crisis] to end, but [we now understand] we can connect to our community in a different way.”

Inada and Compton know the check-in effort is not a replacement for the joyous exercise program that ran at KKV three times a week, and will again, one day. Compton says she tells seniors who miss seeing each other each week: “We will open again. We will keep checking on you to see if you’re OK. But everybody has to be safe right now.” P

Below: ‘Olena, or turmeric, was so useful to those who first settled in Hawai‘i that they brought the bright orange root with them in their canoes. Its reputed antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and immune-boosing properties made a it a powerful medicinal. KKV grows ‘olena and also distributes it to kūpuna, so they can make ‘olena tea.

EDUCATION

STRONGER TOGETHER HAWAI‘I SCHOLARSHIP:

From Homeless to Hopeful The pandemic was not the hardest part of Christian Fernando-Alonzo’s past 12 months.

BY HAWAI‘I COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

C

hristian Fernando-Alonzo, who graduated from Waipahu High School this spring, has a motto: “At the end of the day, you get to define what your path to success is.” And not many of us have walked a path as difficult as his.

Fernando-Alonzo knew for a long time what he wanted to do with his life, but he came by that knowledge the hard way. Some of his earliest memories are of his older sister, who had cerebral palsy. When she was in third grade, she passed away. “From that moment on,” he says, “I knew I wanted to be a health professional.”

Not just any health professional, but a doctor. In his first years of high school, he gravitated to the sciences, particularly biology.

He never had much money, but he had a loving family and caring teachers. Things were going well and adults saw the potential in him. By sophomore year, he had been promoted to supervisor at Jamba Juice in Waikele, where he worked after school, managing people a decade older.

But, in the first quarter of senior year, things got exponentially harder. Even with work as

a restaurant equipment technician, servicing Starbucks and other eateries, his father was paid only when there was work, and the family couldn’t make ends meet. They were evicted in the fall.

The day his family had to leave their home, says Fernando-Alonzo, “I still had to go to school. My head was just swirling.” After school, he caught the bus to his job at Jamba Juice. His duty was to close the store. That night, he says, “There was no home to go to.”

Over the next many weeks, Fernando-Alonzo and his family cobbled together different sleeping arrangements: in their car, at a family member’s, or at a homeless shelter. Sometimes he’d wake at 5:30 a.m. to catch the bus to school or work, then close the store at 9:30 p.m. and go wherever he was sleeping for the night. The next day, he’d do it all over again.

School got tough—it’s hard to do homework without Wi-Fi. He finally told his teachers about his situation, andseveral of them, including Mr. Murakami, Ms. McDermott and Ms. Harris, lifted him up, says FernandoAlonzo: “Even when things were rough, I had teachers that were like a mom and dad. They would always check up on me.”

HAWAI‘I GIVES BACK | 2020

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EDUCATION

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“Everything that’s happened, I appreciate. Because it’s made me who I am.”

—University of Hawai‘i college freshman Christian Fernando-Alonzo, shown at Waipahu High School

COURTESY OF CHRISTIAN FERNANDO-ALONZO

Fernando-Alonzo found shelter at his girlfriend’s family home, where finally he had access to Wi-Fi, which, he says, helped him pass his classes. And he kept hoping his parents would be able to turn things around.

They had moved into a shelter but continued to support him any way they could, including giving him rides at night from his workplace.

His dream, though, felt out of reach: “I wasn’t even sure I would be able to go to college,” he says. So he focused on what he could do: finish high school, and at least apply.

His teachers made sure he had the resources he needed and helped him navigate the complicated applications for college admission and financial aid. His University of Hawai‘i application was due on March 1.

Two weeks later, the COVID-19 stay-athome order was announced. Eateries and coffee shops closed indefinitely, and his father went from not enough work, to no work.

“Everything went even more downhill,” says Fernando-Alonzo.

But then, after a few months, the good news started coming. His acceptance to UHMānoa arrived, along with a Pell Grant and a Mānoa Opportunity Grant, which covered part of his tuition. His parents and sister, who is now a freshman at Wai‘anae High School, were able to move from the shelter to transitional housing. And he took an online course designed to help 2020 grads with their post-high school goals, called Next Steps to Your Future, an initiative of the University of Hawai‘i and Hawai‘i P–20 Partnerships for Education.

STRONGER TOGETHER

The Stronger Together Scholarship was awarded to 370 public school graduates of Hawai‘i’s Class of 2020.

In total, $2.3 million was awarded, with an average award size of $6,200.

“It was very helpful,” says Fernando-Alonzo of the course, which covered life skills from time management to credit-building: “That course teaches you how to set yourself up in life to be successful. It made a really easy transition to going to college.”

It was also the gateway to the application to the Stronger Together Hawai‘i Scholarship started by the Hawai‘i Community Foundation with the help of donors, and matched with seed funding from First Hawaiian Bank, totaling $2 million.

When he found out that he was selected as a scholarship recipient, Fernando-Alonzo says, he couldn’t believe it. “I still can’t.” The scholarship covered the rest of his tuition.

Now he can focus more on being a college freshman—and the first college student in his family. Though his classes are currently online, the students enrolled are from all over the United States, and several other countries.

“That’s pretty interesting to me,” he says. “I never thought I would meet people like that.”

Although a full-time university course load is four classes, Fernando-Alonzo is taking six. “I figured, why not?”

His dream is within reach again. “My community helped me a lot,” says FernandoAlonzo. The way he sees it, his community is part of his future, too: “I want to go into the medical field and help people in my community and improve the quality of life for others.”

Sure, Fernando-Alonzo says he wishes things had been easier. But, he adds: “Everything that’s happened, I appreciate.

Because it’s made me who I am.” P

Christian FernandoAlonzo is the recipient of a Stronger Together Hawai‘i Scholarship, which was developed to support the Class of 2020 public high school graduates in Hawai‘i who had their school year and planning cut short due to COVID-19.

The scholarship provides funding to attend two- or four-year postsecondary institutions starting in the fall of 2020. The scholarship fund was seeded by $2 million from First Hawaiian Bank and the Hawai‘i Community Foundation. “We want [these students] to be the future of Hawai‘i,” says Bob Harrison, chairman, president and CEO of First Hawaiian Bank. “If we can help them take that future through education, that’s what we’re trying to achieve.”

HAWAI‘I GIVES BACK | 2020

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COMMUNITY

A CONSTELLATION OF GIVING:

Donors Make a Challenging Year Hopeful Whether through kindness or a donation—there are many ways to give in Hawai‘i. At Hawai‘i Community Foundation, we know that every action makes a difference.

BY HAWAI‘I COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

» A Map of the Heart We often say no gift is too small to make a difference.

What doesn’t get said as much: No person is too small to make a difference. In late April, a young anonymous donor directed a $20 donation toward the Kaua‘i Strong Fund and drew a beautiful map of the island, just to make sure we knew where the funds should go.

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» Two People, One Purpose, Many Gifts When it became clear that the pandemic had made its way to Hawai‘i’s shores, attorneys Simon and Lorraine Klevansky knew they wanted to help. They turned to the Hawai‘i Resilience Fund of the Hawai‘i Community Foundation. “I liked the strategy,” says Simon Klevansky, adding that the fund’s plan covers both short-term and longterm goals and builds on Simon Klevansky relationships with some of Hawai‘i’s most effective nonprofits.

The Klevanskys made their first donation to the Hawai‘i Resilience Fund in May—and then they kept giving. As of this writing, they have made 11 donations, both as individuals and through Simon Klevansky’s law firm, Klevansky Piper LLP. To the Klevanskys, it’s just common sense to help until the need is met. “We’ve been fortunate,” says Lorraine Klevansky, “but we know a lot of people who work really hard and are not able to make it, because of things that are not under their control.”

» Aloha, At Work: Bank of Hawaii Bank of Hawaii exemplifies an institution whose values are lived by its ‘ohana. In March 2020, Bank of Hawaii Foundation donated $3 million to the Hawai‘i Resilience Fund of the Hawai‘i Community Foundation, one of the largest corporate donations in HCF’s history. This generous act was the seed that grew the Resilience Fund into a $50 million resource for pandemic recovery. The bank’s board and leadership council contributed another $150,000 to the fund, and Bank of Hawaii’s “Blue Team” of employees volunteered their time at Hawai‘i Foodbank’s mass distributions on O‘ahu in May and June. The distributions provided food—from local produce and meats to pantry staples—for over 40,000 households on the island.

» Gratitude Pose: The Gift of a Yoga Class When COVID-19 hit, the CorePower yoga studio where Max Hannemann was teaching shut down.

His daughter, Tiana, also a yoga teacher, was home from USC. They started to get queries from students who missed their classes, so the pair decided to offer yoga together, online—for free—to help people stay active through the pandemic. Max Hannemann called it “just a way to give back.”

The classes were a success, drawing viewers from all over the world, but Tiana, a Hawai‘i Community Foundation scholarship recipient, didn’t stop there. “I wanted to pay it forward,” she told Hawai‘i News Now. For one class, she announced that she planned to donate one dollar for every class attendee to Hawai‘i Community Foundation’s Hawai‘i Resilience Fund—which was set up in March to provide coronavirus relief across the state. She thought she would be donating about $80. Then, she says, “through the night people started matching me, Venmo-ing me, saying, ‘Hey, I want to contribute to your donation.’” After two weeks, the father and daughter team and their students were able to donate more than $600. P HAWAI‘I GIVES BACK | 2020

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Tr ansformative Giving:

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of Phil anthropy THE GENERATIONS THAT FOLLOWED THE BABY BOOMERS BRING FRESH IDEAS AND NEW PRIORITIES TO GIVING.

BY POWELL BERGER

HAWAI‘I GIVES BACK | 2020

35

or decades, Hawai‘i’s nonprofits

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KENWEI CHONG

DAVID CROXFORD

have turned to a generation of philanthropists who’ve donated generously, creating safe havens for keiki, protecting our fragile ecosystem, and creating entire systems to address the needs of our neighbors. As that generation, mostly baby boomers, looks toward retirement, younger generations — some of them children of those who’ve given over the years and others who are relatively new to philanthropy — are taking center stage.

Just as these baby boomers shaped the framework of philanthropy in Hawai‘i, these younger donors are looking to leave their mark in the decades ahead. They face different challenges than those before them: wealth inequality, crushing student debt, high cost of living, and caring for their families in a 24/7 world where work bleeds into nights and weekends and emails never stop.

Every donor interviewed for this story immediately identified time as their most valuable commodity, which looms large as they decide where and how to engage in the community. Where they want to invest their time, how they view sitting on boards and going to traditional gala-type events, the value they perceive of the time they give to organizations — all those concerns came up again and again. They don’t have time to warm chairs. They want to get things done.

Perhaps no organization in Hawai‘i better reflects these new perspectives than the GIFT Foundation. The nonprofit was founded in 2003 by Kenwei Chong and a few friends after learning about the concept through the Boston GIFT chapter and identifying with its premise, “Giving Inspiration for Tomorrow.”

Chong, the only remaining founder still active on the board, remembers the early years, going to Kelvin Taketa at the Hawai‘i Community Foundation for guidance on organizations worthy of their support. “Kelvin was invaluable, and yet, in his typical way, he said, ‘Eh, you’ll fizzle out in 10 years,’” Chong says, laughing.

“That’s perhaps what I’m most proud of. We didn’t fizzle out, and we’ve grown from raising $40,000 a year to $200,000 year after year.”

By design, Chong and other early GIFT board members age into “kūpuna” status after a decade or so. “That was the idea, to get young people involved and then hand it off,” Chong says. “I’m definitely the old guy in the group now.” The founders and those who’ve followed view GIFT as the stepping off point, where young professionals can discover philanthropy and then, as they cycle into kūpuna status, philanthropic giving is embedded in their way of life.

GIFT Foundation 2020 Board

Back (left to right): Duff Janus, Jarrett Walters, Eric Shearer, Alex Fergus, Zak Noyle, Gregg Yamauchi, Patrick Klein, Chad Sakumoto, Kenwei Chong, Kaloa Robinson. Middle (left to right): Terence Young, Ben Fieman, Evan Killips, Kawika Fiddler, Ian Clagstone, Matt Sasaki, Haylee Faustin, Corey Correa. Front (left to right): Michelle Kaneshiro, Erica Mau, Catherine Taschner, Tricia Matsukawa, Tony Mizuno, Alison Tomisato, Kris Hui, Stephanie Hsu. Missing from photo: Chynna Stone, Michael Lim, Josh Stinson, Nathan Okubo, Robert Kurisu, Daniel Goodfellow, Jenna Teruya, Valerie Wang, Justin Izumi, Erin Shon, Morgan Kaya, Trevor Benn, Ryan Yamamoto, Christian Adams.

COURTESY OF THE GIFT FOUNDATION

GIFT doesn’t own that young donor space, however. Particularly given the civil unrest around the country, even high school and college students are engaging, perhaps more than ever before. They look to crowdsourcing, GoFundMe initiatives, and matching gifts to amplify their modest donations. Jenna Neher, who grew up in Maunawili and is a senior at UCLA, rallied friends to make a difference. “When Black Lives Matter came to the forefront, my friends and I started raising money for bail funds,” she says. “We pitched in our own money, and then took to social media,” with friends around the world sending modest donations through Venmo. They raised $2,000, and Neher found a 200% corporate match that ballooned it to $6,000, all of it going straight to funds addressing BLM needs.

“The social culture among my friends is that they are expected to give,” she says. “They feel an obligation to do what they can,” even when they are living on modest college budgets

where every dollar counts. In Neher’s case, she donated $100 to the BLM effort, an amount she describes as a big chunk of her budget. “I can’t donate every time, but I do it when I feel like it really matters.”

Brett MacNaughton, who grew up on the Mainland and is now back in Hawai‘i working in the family’s real estate development business, sees changes coming in the decades ahead. “I think the ability to give smaller amounts makes it easier—$5,000 and $10,000 tables aren’t accessible to younger generations now,” he says. “But if they can give a couple hundred dollars and feel it will make a difference, they will do it.”

Both Neher and the GIFT Foundation board members see a possible paradigm shift among younger donors. “Our names aren’t on any of these gifts, and that’s fine with us,” Neher says.

“It’s a means to an end, and that makes more sense than getting my name in a newsletter.”

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“The social culture among my friends is that they are expected to give. They feel an obligation to do what they can.” — JENNA NEHER

don’t look to promote the foundation. They look to promote the organizations they fund, hoping to drive more funding and support their way.

While buying tables at various galas and events has been a long-held tradition for both his family and the business, MacNaughton says it’s getting harder to fi ll those tables, that those three or four hours in a ballroom cut into family time and other obligations.

He struggles with that pressure routinely.

“It’s a huge time commitment, and sometimes there’s at least one a week. That’s a lot,” he says. “Most of the time, I’d rather donate money and not attend the event.” He points to the exceptions, of course, those events that have amassed local standing similar to New York City’s Met Gala and are the “must get” tickets of the social and philanthropic community. But for MacNaughton, he’s more likely to give and show up if it’s engaging, different, and showcases the community served in interesting and insightful ways.

“I rarely ever hear anyone excited to go to events in the big ballrooms,” he says. “I’ve heard people say, ‘Oh, it’s at Aulani in the pools —that’s fun,’ or ‘Oh, it’s at the Four Seasons in the fields—that’s fun.’” He believes the unique venues offer a more casual vibe, where guests can mingle and visit, rather than being tied to their ballroom chairs for an extended program.

GIFT Foundation’s mission is based on that view. Its annual October costume gala is considered by dedicated attendees as the one “must do” event in town. The parties are, in fact, epic. Chong remembers one in the early years, when Melissa Blake, the event coordinator, decided the gala needed a massive dead tree in the center of the Royal Hawaiian’s iconic ballroom. The theme was macabre goth, and she wanted to decorate the tree

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with skeletons and other spooky décor. Chong borrowed a truck, headed to Koko Head with friends and loaded a dead kiawe tree in the back of the truck. “It was crazy,” Chong recalls.

“We’re driving down Kalaniana‘ole Highway, with this tree, easily two lanes wide, in the back. Then we pulled up at the Royal Hawaiian with this massive tree to drag into their ballroom.” No one remembers how they got the tree out, after the event, but they clearly remember the hotel insisting they get it done.

In recent years, the premier diamond sponsors have been welcomed with rows of beds, decked out like a cemetery under a full moon, with headstones recognizing their generous gifts. Another year took them to Maui Brewing, which had been transformed into a dungeon. “There’s always a theme of good versus evil in our décor,” Blake says, “and we look to surprise our guests with ingenuity without spending a lot of money.”

Blake also recalls one of the foundation’s earliest events, the superheroes and villains year at The Pacific Club — an event that was a raging success. Not so much for the Pacific Club, though, which politely suggested the foundation find a different location next time.

While most events try to highlight and focus on the beneficiaries, GIFT takes a different approach. Its outreach to donors is personal, with phone calls and letters making the case for the beneficiaries chosen that year. Once donors buy in, the party is their celebration, their reward for making a difference in the community. GIFT board member Kris Hui puts it this way: “It’s GIFT’s goal that attendees leave every year saying, ‘I’m going to start saving now so I can come back next year, and maybe up my donation. This was the best party I’ve been to all year.’”

“While we’re known for the parties we throw, that’s not what we do,” says board

From Elvis to Game of Thrones, the GIFT Foundation promises an epic party, all of the money raised going to good causes.

COURTESY OF THE GIFT FOUNDATION

HAWAI‘I GIVES BACK | 2020

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member Tony Mizuno. With no staff, GIFT is entirely volunteer driven, with board members reviewing and vetting as many as 90 grant requests each year before homing in on their finalists for interviews, further vetting, and then choosing that year’s beneficiaries. “It’s a lot of hours, but that’s what’s most meaningful to me,” says Alison Tomisato-Alves. “We learn about dozens and dozens of nonprofits doing really great work,” and in many cases individual board members end up “adopting” their favorites, even if it doesn’t make the final cut for a grant.

GIFT board members collaborate and debate until they settle on their beneficiaries.

Often, they quickly align; other times discussions are more spirited. “Voting is an anti-GIFT culture,” Mizuno says. “And it’s not uncommon when we have a new board member who’ll say, ‘Let’s take a vote,’ and we say, ‘No, we’re going to talk about this and decide together.”

These young donors know that organizations across the state are looking to add younger people to their boards, and they recognize that organizations are still figuring out how to do that effectively. MacNaughton sits on the board of the Nature Conservancy, an organization his father also supported for years. “I’m the youngest board member by far, and I think it’s important to get new viewpoints into these organizations,” he says.

“I hope they see value in my perspective.”

He also knows young donors are a valuable target. “These younger generations definitely care, maybe more than others,” he says.

“You can see it in the protests; they can’t stand injustice, and they look to the legacy organizations and figure they’re doing fine,” so they put their money and time into other causes that aren’t getting as much attention but really matter to them.

He, and many of the others we spoke with, hope that organizations will find creative ways to welcome young donors, and find new ways to engage them. Blake agrees, pointing to some organizations that are creating youth leadership boards, a training ground of sorts

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“These younger generations definitely care, maybe more than others. You can see it in the protests; they can’t stand injustice, and they look to the legacy organizations and figure they’re doing fine,” — BRETT MACNAUGHTON

to engage this generation before moving them on to the official board. She also points to organizations doing hybrid events—traditional galas that appeal to longtime donors and then more casual, hands-on events that draw younger crowds.

Suzy Churchill, for decades a dedicated donor and volunteer in Hawai‘i’s philanthropic community—she’s supported everything from the Boys & Girls Club to Kapi‘olani Women and Children’s Hospital to numerous schools and education endeavors—is inspired by these next generations. “My generation is making sure we’re able to honor the philanthropic commitments we’ve already made,” she says, “while preparing for the unexpected that can suddenly surface in an aging population.”

Watching this next generation forge their own path, just as she and her peers did years ago, assures Churchill that what she has been part of building will continue to grow, infused with new ideas, new strategies and new money.

MacNaughton compares the coming shifts to PayPal. “PayPal realized it was born in a different generation, so it rebranded to Venmo to be cool,” he says, and it worked. “Now young people flock to Venmo,” just as Neher did to raise money for Black Lives Matter. P

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hilanthropy, defined: Goodwill to fellow members of the human race, active efforts to promote human welfare. An act or gift done or made for humanitarian purposes.

This year has reminded us how many people do good works to help those in our communities, where COVID-19 has laid bare personal and economic insecurities. Philanthropy is about the people, organizations, donors and foundations putting countless hours into the work of making Hawai‘i a better place.

These four profiles shine light on some of that good work.

BY POWELL BERGER PORTRAITS BY AARON K. YOSHINO

The Atherton Foundation, headed by a family that has, for generations, put its money and energy into a better Hawai‘i The UH Cancer Center, where worldclass cancer research is finding new drugs, new treatments, and new data specifically focused on Hawai‘i’s ethnically diverse population

“Life’s persistent and most urgent question is, “What are you doing for others?”

— Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Bryan Luke, CEO of Hawai‘i National Bank, a donor who keeps tabs on where and how to best move Hawai‘i forward and who puts resources where he believes he can make the most difference Minda Golez, housing and employment director at the Institute for Human Services, who works every day to find housing and jobs for people facing home and economic insecurity, especially during COVID Especially during these times, answering King’s urgent question seems more important than ever.

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doing The Work

University of Hawai‘i Cancer Center A V ision a ry P rogr a m w i t h L if e-Ch a nging P o s sibil i t ie s

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magine a world-class cancer research center right here in Hawai‘i, one of only 71 National Cancer Institute designated centers in the country. Imagine the possibilities of early phase clinical trials right here at home, offering new options for those who’ve not done well with conventional treatments. Imagine cancer research that focuses on Hawai‘i’s diverse ethnicities, finding treatments that focus on our unique characteristics.

It’s here. Some of it’s been here for almost 25 years, and its plans for the future may well revolutionize cancer treatment. The University of Hawai‘i Cancer Center has launched a visionary program to build out several floors of its new Kaka‘ako campus, creating an ambulatory outpatient clinic where early phase clinical trials can be administered to patients who’ve exhausted traditional treatments. The program will also expand the center’s existing research, and establish a drug development commercialization complex where drug researchers can have access to world-class equipment and research to bring new treatments to market.

It’s a mouthful, but so is what it means for Hawai‘i: lives saved, revolutionized cancer treatments for unique Pacific demographics, more world-class researchers, and a more diverse state economy.

Leading this ambitious undertaking are two world-class scientists themselves. Dr. Randy Holcombe, the program director, came here from Mount Sinai Medical Center in Florida, while Dr. Joe Ramos, the deputy director, came to Hawai‘i after years as a cancer researcher at Rutgers. “I was drawn here to be part of another world-class NCI center that’s also small enough to foster great collaboration among researchers,” Ramos says.

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Instrumental to their plans is the consortium of health care providers that’s been created under Holcombe’s leadership, bringing Queen’s, Hawai‘i Pacific Health, Kuakini, HMSA, and Castle as well as many private practice physicians and Tripler into a single group that supports these initiatives.

“We’re not building another hospital,” Holcombe says. Instead, it’s a new resource for the existing medical community.

“These new programs at the Cancer Center were a long time coming,” says Dr. Ian Okazaki, an oncologist with Hawai‘i Pacific Health. “Dr. Holcombe comes from Mount Sinai. He’s done the heavy lifting and knows how to build the consortium and get this done.”

Senator Mazie Hirono, a cancer patient herself, shares these views. “The groundbreaking work at the Cancer Center provides families in Hawai‘i and across the country with hope,” she says. “Their focus on serving Hawai‘i’s diverse communities will be a critical piece of improving cancer outcomes in communities of color, and I was proud to announce $6.5 million in federal grant funding for the UH Cancer Center last year to boost this research.”

While the base funding for the plan comes from state and federal funds, the success and completion of this ambitious program —and that of every NCI designated center around the country—depends on philanthropic giving. “No cancer center in the country survives without philanthropic dollars,” Holcombe says.

Early Phase Clinical Trials

Currently, there are no early phase trials available in Hawai‘i. If a patient doesn’t see success through conventional treatments and late-stage trials, they either go to the Mainland for early phase trials

Dr. Randy Holcombe Program Director University of Hawai‘i Cancer Center

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Dr. Joe Ramos Deputy Director University of Hawai‘i Cancer Center

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or they run out of options, often dying from the disease. And of course, seeking treatment on the Mainland is a huge financial burden, requiring the patient and a family member to relocate, often for months.

Now, an outpatient early phase clinical trials clinic will be housed on the Kaka‘ako campus, allowing doctors to collaborate with the Cancer Center to enroll their patients in the appropriate trials and then monitor their progress. “Early phase trials are what it’s all about,” says Okazaki.

“Clinical trials should always be part of the discussions with our patients and having the Cancer Center right here makes it more realistic and feasible.”

Holcombe expects the early phase trial center to be self-supporting after four years, but to create it, philanthropic seed money is needed.

He also knows that cancer patients, particularly those now counting on early stage trials because everything else has failed, need treatments they’re comfortable with and spaces they’re comfortable in. “Wait until you see it,” Holcombe says. “It will be state of the art, nicely appointed, and not packing people in, allowing patients to get quality care in a science center.”

Expanded Research

Organoids are the new frontier of cancer research, three-dimensional tumors grown from biopsy samples of cancer patients. They allow researchers to look at different cancers in different populations with different outcomes. “Organoids match ethnicity, age, tumor type and cancer type,” Ramos says. “We grow them in the lab, and can continue to grow them so we can continue to test new treatments on them.”

Organoid libraries don’t exist around the country yet. “We’re among the first,” Holcombe says, “and we’ll make our library available to researchers around the country.”

Particularly in Hawai‘i, this research is critical, since we know that certain cancers impact different ethnicities differently, and yet 91% of patients participating in clinical trials are white.

By expanding that work to focus on patients of Asian heritage or Native Hawaiian or Japanese heritage, researchers believe they can find treatments unique to these patients.

Also critical to their research labs are the plethora of plants and animals found only in Hawai‘i. “Natural products are more complex (than synthetic ones) so we can look at things we could never create in a lab,” Ramos says. “Over their evolutionary history, they’re designed to have biological activity, so that’s what we look at, to see what we can find to address cancer.”

Taxol, a drug now commonly used to treat breast and ovarian cancer, was discovered in the bark of the Pacific yew tree, and was then re-created as a synthetic product to offer gamechanging treatment.

Cancer center researchers harvest unique plants and marine species like marine sponges and forest ferns, and following the Taxol example, work to find the benefits and then create synthetic versions that can revolutionize cancer treatment.

Drug Development Commercialization Complex

Researching, developing, and bringing new drugs to market is an expensive endeavor. A single piece of equipment can cost over $1 million, on top of the staff of researchers, additional equipment and lab resources required. As it is now, independent medical researchers and drug developers who've homed in on possible new cancer treatments have just two options: find a way to pay for those resources themselves or find a collaborative center on the Mainland.

Now, that collaborative center will be right here, a world-class research center with the equipment, research teams, and knowledge to work with that these researchers and developers to bring their drugs to market. Instead of self-funding, they simply rent lab space at the UH Cancer Center and tap into the expertise there.

Besides positioning the UH Cancer Center as an epicenter of drug and treatment development, the complex also expands the state’s research economic sector, adding to the already 300 researchers at the Cancer Center and bringing jobs and economic growth to the Islands.

Okazaki knows all too well the agony of a cancer battle lost. “What Holcombe is building is a place where world-class researchers want to be. They will want to come here,” he says.

“We should have this. We deserve it. We need it.” P HAWAI‘I GIVES BACK | 2020

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doing The Work

Minda Golez “I t C oul d Be A n y of U s”

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hen the pandemic hit, Minda Golez knew what was coming. She’d lived through it before, when Aloha Airlines ceased operations and the national economy collapsed in 2008. But this time, it’s worse, with no end in sight.

“I knew in early March that the calls would start flooding in,” Golez says about the pandemic. “It happened in 2008, people suddenly out of work and no idea what to do next.” Now, more than six months after the initial COVID-19 lockdown, the calls keep coming and panic has set in. “In the beginning, people thought life would get back to normal,” she says. “Now they know that’s not true.”

Jobs are gone, businesses are shuttered, and they are in crisis.

Prior to COVID, Golez and her team fielded eight to 10 calls a week. Now they’re handling at least that many every day, and their call lists keep growing.

For 14 years, Golez has been the beating heart of the IHS Housing and Employment Program, building a team of housing specialists, employment specialists, case workers and program coordinators who spend their days working one-on-one with clients trying to get back on their feet. They’re known for their work with the houseless community, but with COVID-19, people who’ve never experienced home and economic insecurity are scared. Golez knows that, and she knows what to do.

“Furloughs are turning into layoffs now,” she says. “It’s not going to be the same again, and we know that. Take a couple who’ve both worked for Hawaiian Airlines their entire lives. They’ve lived a comfortable life, and now they don’t know what to do. They’re panicked.”

Golez and her team are having hard conversations with their clients—talking

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them through various options, opportunities and resources. Many of those clients, though, aren’t fully prepared to face the severity of their situations, Golez says. For them, it’s an evolutionary process. “In the early days, people would say, ‘I’ll get my assistance and unemployment, and there’s an eviction moratorium, so I’ll be OK,’” she says.

“Now they’re getting the bills from the landlords, detailing the back rent due; the extra $600 per week in unemployment has ended; and the moratorium expires at the end of the year.” Now they’re digging out, facing thousands in unpaid rent and utilities, a likely eviction notice once the moratorium expires, and nowhere to go.

For Golez and her team, the hard talks get real quickly. The questions are tough: “Do you have a landline and a mobile phone? Do you really need that landline? Cancel it. What about cable, all those premium channels, and the DVR box — do you need those? Maybe just keep Wi-Fi. You’ve got a Mercedes? Maybe you should trade that for a less expensive car, a less expensive monthly payment.”

And on it goes, detailing each aspect of a client’s situation and how they can make adjustments.

“We talk them through the process to really buckle down,” she says. “They have to be in it for the long haul, not just a wing and a prayer.”

She also knows the shame and embarrassment felt by so many of her clients, many of whom are known within their communities, churches and schools. “They worry what the neighbors will think, what will Auntie and Uncle think,” she says. “They won’t ask family for help because they feel like they’ve failed. These people have been working hard their entire lives, so it’s a shock to their system.”

While buckling down on expenses, Golez and her team also gently move clients to recognize

Minda Golez Housing and Employment Director Institute for Human Services

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“We have so much respect for our clients.

It could be you or your family member, and you’d want that respect.

It could be any of us.”

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their previous job or career may not be coming back, that they need to look at other options. “There’s the pride of it all,” she says.

“People will say that’s all they’ve done their entire career, that they don’t know how to do anything else.” Golez knows it’s a discussion, so she goes slowly, suggesting jobs in other fields that are available right now — perhaps security to protect closed stores, office work, food delivery, and other opportunities that IHS can help connect them to. “They sit with it for a bit,” she says, “and then they usually come back. Having the will —the guts—to enter the unknown, be flexible, and just go full into it is hard.”

Golez says most people don’t understand the complexity of getting people into housing. “It has to be right for the client,” she says, “on the right bus route, in communities where they feel safe,” and in the same school district, too, to avoid disrupting their children’s education. Each case is unique, and she and her team work hard to respect and honor each client’s unique needs.

It’s hard and heartbreaking work, but Golez and her team do it with pride. She also works hard to keep her staff motivated, and makes sure they’re not overwhelmed. “We do a lot of talking, a lot of communicating, a lot of one-on-ones to handle the stress,” she says. “We have hard days, but we also celebrate the successes, even the little ones.”

Golez is a single mom, and her 12-year-old son understands the importance of the work she does. “I made sure he sees the shelter and the kids (pre-COVID). I wanted him to know the difference between needs and wants,” she says. “He knows I always say, ‘It could be worse,’ because he and I have seen it.”

While each case is its own story, Golez gets emotional when she talks about her first one, involving “a gentleman who’d tried so hard, worked in security,” but was houseless.

She found him a place in Mākaha, and even drove him out there to help settle him in. “We were both excited as I handed him the keys,” she says, “and he started crying.”

After touring the apartment, they walked outside, on the ocean side. “He pointed to a spot nearby and said ‘That’s where my tent was.’ That’s when I cried too. I’ve never forgotten him.”

Golez pauses after sharing that story. “We have so much respect for our clients,” she says. “It could be you or your family member, and you’d want that respect. It could be any of us.” P

doing The Work

Bryan Luke Buil ding on t he Pa s t, L ook ing t owa rd s t he f u t ure

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ryan Luke laughs when asked about his office, the regal dark shelves filled with memorabilia from his grandfather, who founded Hawai‘i National Bank in 1960, and then his father, who led the bank until Bryan took the reins last year.

“Yeah, half my job is moving things forward, and the other half is not screwing things up,” he says, laughing.

Thinking about philanthropic giving is part of that job—personally, professionally, and through the family’s foundations. Like many of his generation, Luke puts an emphasis on personal time and the impact of the time and money that’s put toward community nonprofits. “It’s not just about giving money for giving money,” he says. “I want to know where it’s going—what project or program. Will it be effective?”

He also reflects on how giving has evolved since he returned home in 2006, a fresh-faced graduate of Harvard Business School. He recalls an endless barrage of requests from all variety of nonprofits, often with hard asks. “It felt like a lot of pressure, almost like bullying rather than inspiring,” he says. “My dad gave me a list of names and said ‘take their calls, listen to them,’ advice I still follow.” Listening to that counsel, Luke found his path beyond the bullying and gravitated to opportunities where he could make a real difference.

Luke points to golf tournaments as a prime example of that evolution. Back in the day, business executives might have a couple of golf tournaments a week. That’s where deals were done and local causes and organizations were supported. “Today, we don’t have the time to spend the day on the golf course,” Luke says, pointing to the endless news cycle, work bleeding into nights and weekends, and working parents juggling kids’ activities. “And HAWAI‘I GIVES BACK | 2020

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Bryan Luke President and CEO Hawai‘i National Bank

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“We can do a lot of good in a totally different way than we’ve done it before.”

our customers don’t either, especially smallbusiness owners. They have businesses to run and families to care for.”

Time is a hot commodity, not just for Luke but for his friends and colleagues. The traditional “rubber chicken dinners,” no matter how important the cause, can mean three to four hours away from family, so filling a table can be tough. Likewise, warming a seat at a board meeting without feeling you’ve made any real difference seems like a waste of time. “I’ve sat on boards where the meetings were exactly the same, month after month, and it seemed we never actually did anything,” he says. He cycled off those boards, choosing to support them financially but investing his time elsewhere.

Now he sits on the board of the Rehab Hospital of the Pacific—two of his grandparents received care at the hospital after joint replacements—as well as the board of the Pacific and Asian Affairs Council and several other carefully chosen organizations.

For him, being on the boards, bringing financial, strategic, and organizational counsel to groups that might not otherwise have indepth knowledge in those areas, is time wellspent. “Nonprofit budgets are tighter these days, so it’s especially important that they can draw on board members’ expertise,” he says.

Luke knows that for many organizations, board seats have traditionally come with an expectation of extensive fundraising, and that in times past, that worked. “I think that’s a lot harder to do these days,” he says. “People are very inquisitive about where it’s going, especially since my generation and friends just don’t have that kind of money to give.”

He’s been tapped to serve on boards as the token “young person” enough that he’s wary of that now, even as he laughs that, being in his late 40s, he might be aging out of that category.

Personally, and with his family’s foundations,

Luke looks for real need and real impact, rather than narrowing his philanthropic efforts to specific missions, like education or the environment, for example.

“Beyond the mission of the organization and the impact of the money or time, I ask myself if I want to spend time with these people,” he says. “It’s the board members, staff, supporters, and the recipients of the organization’s good work—I look for effectiveness, a plan that can be accomplished. I want to feel like I’m accomplishing something and moving the organization forward.”

Luke says philanthropy in Hawai‘i over the next decade will likely involve more community-based actions than simple check writing. “Having more involvement among donors, supporters, and the people benefiting from the organization’s work, I think that’s important.” He points to Habitat for Humanity as a good model, where donors and eventual homeowners work side by side. “Writing a check is a lot more difficult for people, especially with what we’re going through now.” He says people need to get out in the community, mingle more, and be part of the work that’s being done.

Luke still hangs out with old friends and classmates from his Punahou days, as well as others he’s met along the way. He says they look to find ways to collaborate, to really make a difference in this shared community. “I think the future of giving is going to be a lot less about having your name on a building,” he says.

“What I want to do is know I’ve made a positive impact on people.”

He pauses, and kicks back in that leather chair in that storied office and says, “We can do a lot of good in a totally different way than we’ve done it before.” Luke is building on the legacy of his father and grandfather before him, and he knows it’s his kuleana to do right by them. P HAWAI‘I GIVES BACK | 2020

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doing The Work

The Atherton Family Foundation S c ore s of Nonp rof i t s R e a p t he Benef i t s f rom One Fa mily T ree

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hen Hawai‘i Gives Back met with two Atherton Family Foundation board members, on a Zoom screen, it was impossible to not notice the difficulty of the times. The board’s chair, Pat Giles, was in Washington state, her internet connection too unstable to use video and the wildfires raging in the area made it impossible for her to see down the street. Robin Midkiff, the vice president and treasurer, pointed out how parched Hawai‘i is, without much rain in weeks. And then of course, there’s COVID. For the board members, these were more than just current events. These

were concerns at the root of what they do: making sure that the Atherton Family Foundation seeks out needs and helps find and fund solutions.

The Atherton Family Foundation— created when the trustees of the Juliette M. Atherton Trust and the trust of her son, Frank C. Atherton, agreed to consolidate in 1976—is a critical source of support and funding for many nonprofits across the state, investing approximately $5 million annually to a wide range of needs, from education to the environment to health care to food insecurity and so much more. Unlike many foundations, the Atherton Family Foundation

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COURTESY OF THE ATHERTON FAMILY FOUNDATION

Atherton Family Foundation’s current board of directors: (from left to right) Paul F. Morgan, Juliette K. Sheehan, Herbert M. “Tim” Richards, III, Patricia R. Giles, Frederick W. Rohlfing, III, Robin S. Midkiff.

supports both capital campaigns (up to $200,000 per campaign) as well as programs and projects.

Also unlike many foundations in Hawai‘i, this one is strictly a family affair. Its six board members are all descendants of the founding principals, creating a web of distant cousins who might not cross paths if not for the family’s responsibility to steward the gifts of the foundation established by their ancestors. “We feel pretty strongly that we’d like to keep it in the family,” Midkiff says.

To create a bench of other family members to pick up the reins, they’ve even added five alternates, younger cousins who can learn about the foundation’s work and be prepared to do that work when their time comes.

“I didn’t know much about the foundation when I first got involved,” Giles says. “Now, we’re talking to our nieces and nephews about what we do, why we do it, and why it’s important.

It’s not just the next generation, but the next two or three generations, and they need to understand the role of the foundation, to support the great nonprofits in our communities.” Think of it as embarking on creating a family ancestry tree, but this time, you’re not just filling the tree, you’re filling a need. These distant cousins know and understand their family’s legacy of philanthropy and that they are ready to step in when their time comes.

While foundation members honor

Atherton Family: (standing from left to right) Frank C. Atherton, Mrs. Charles H. Atherton, Theodore Richards, Alexander Atherton, (sitting from left to right) Mary Atherton Richards, Joseph Ballard Atherton, Kate M. Atherton, Mrs. Juliette M. Atherton, Charles H. Atherton

COURTESY OF HAWAIIAN MISSION HOUSES HISTORIC SITE AND ARCHIVES

the legacies of Juliette Atherton and Frank Atherton, focusing on areas of literacy, early childhood education and religion, they pride themselves in their capacity to look beyond those anchor priorities and step up when there’s a need they can address. “We’re much more broad than other foundations,” Midkiff says. “We want to see what bubbles up from the community. We’re choosing to focus on particularly important areas because there is a need that we can meet.”

They have an annual process, where they gather to review the docket of grant requests (often 1,200 pages or more of good organizations looking for desperately needed support), and then make decisions on where to invest and when throughout the year.

But this year was different. When COVID hit, board members knew immediately that they had to step up, and step up right now. They pivoted quickly, focusing on the needs at hand — food insecurity across the state and personal protective equipment for first responders on Maui, since Maui Memorial Medical Center had seen a spike in COVID cases.

By April, they’d given $200,000 to the Hawai‘i Resilience Fund to fight food insecurity across the state and another $100,000 to the Bridges fund on Hawai‘i Island, a program created to ensure that farmers and ranchers could get their products directly to consumers and the Food Basket rather than let go to waste all the product that would have been consumed by hotels and restaurants if not for the pandemic. They also partnered with Vision to Learn, donating $100,000 to support a large order of PPE from China that went directly to Maui Memorial and first responders.

“One of the things I treasure about this board is that when we see a need, we come together and talk about it.

We are part of the community and we care deeply about it,” Giles says. “I was so happy we were able to do all that so quickly, and when it was needed most.”

Says Midkiff: “Maui police and firemen are still thanking us for their masks. That’s the thing about Atherton. We can make a difference.

We don’t have all the money we’re asked for, but we’re sizeable enough that we can make a real difference. We

spend what we need to spend, and this is an unusual year.”

In 1915, Juliette M. Atherton transferred her remaining Castle and Cooke shares to be held in trust so that the charitable work she’d done over her lifetime could continue. In 1935, her son, Frank Atherton, followed suit, establishing a trust to continue the support of the causes he’d held dear, including education, religious work, and other charitable programs. Now, all these decades later, a family is held together by those commitments, promises made to communities across Hawai‘i that where there’s a need, the Atherton family can be there to help.

As for how they do it, particularly being family members, Giles sums it up well. “We review everything and we collaborate on what we can support. And I’ve got to say, it’s a family board, but we do a whole lot better communicating than we do in my (immediate) family.”

Communicate. Collaborate. Make a difference across the state. Juliette and Frank started it all, and their descendants are making good on their commitments. P HAWAI‘I GIVES BACK | 2020

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Hawai‘i Gives Back

Guide For

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H G B S P OT L I G H T: F I N D YO U R C AU S E

Good people in good organizations doing good work are the threads that hold us together, especially in times like these. And these people and organizations depend on people like you to succeed in their work.

In the following pages, you’ll find an encyclopedia of sorts, outlining the work of Hawai‘i nonprofits that bring help and hope to so many — from keiki to kūpuna, from the environment to sustainability, from marginalized communities to the safety of our ‘ohana.

We hope you’ve been inspired by the stories told within these pages, and will review these many organizations for opportunities that fit you. Whether it’s volunteering time or money, (or both!), we know they need you. And we can promise you, your involvement will inspire you as much as it helps them.

HINT! Look for the H OW YO U C A N H ELP box to find out how you can make a difference.

PEXELS.COM

Still need help finding your cause? Check out the quiz on page 81 to steer you in the right direction.

After-School All-Stars Hawai‘i Mission: After-School All-Stars Hawai‘i provides comprehensive after-school programs that keep children safe and help them succeed in school and life.

EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES All-Star Affair Gala Sponsor a table at our annual All-Star Affair Gala that features performances from our All-Star students. All proceeds from the event help us to move our mission forward. Contact us at aloha@asashawaii.org to secure a table for our upcoming event.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

KE Y SERVICES PROVIDED After-School All-Stars Hawai‘i provides free after-school and summer programs for middle and intermediate school students. ASAS supports the social and intellectual development of underserved students by providing structured academic support, health and fitness activities and enrichment programs. In addition, ASAS offers special programs focused on service learning, youth leadership, career exploration, sports-based youth development and high school transition initiatives.

ASAS Hawai‘i currently partners with seven schools on O‘ahu and four schools on Hawai‘i Island and served more than 2,200 students last school year.

Visit asashawaii.org/get-involved to learn how you can be part of our All-Star ‘ohana as a volunteer or provide opportunities for our students to learn as a corporate partner.

Donate to our programs online at asashawaii.org/donate and help provide exciting programs, classes, field trips and experiences for our students.

LEADERSHIP B OA R D O F D I R EC TO R S

E X EC U TI V E O FFI C ER S

• • • • • • • • •

• Paula Fitzell, President and CEO

Dawn M. Dunbar, Chair Brett Brewer, Founding Chair Richanne Lam, Vice Chair and Treasurer Lori Abe, Secretary Corey Campbell AJ Halagao Lori Harrison Jim Polk Tiffany Vara

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A DV I S O RY B OA R D

• • • • • • •

H G B S P OT L I G H T: F I N D YO U R C AU S E

Greg Dickhens Bert A. Kobayashi Susan Kobayashi Maya Soetoro-Ng Jeff Watanabe Lynn Watanabe Brady Yee

P: 808-734-1314 E: aloha@asashawaii.org asashawaii.org Facebook/Instagram/Twitter: @allstarshawaii

aio Foundation Mission: The aio Foundation works to create a better future for Hawai‘i by providing opportunities to enable young people to become thoughtful, educated, community-minded individuals with a deep appreciation for our home state.

EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES Volunteers are the unsung heroes in executing successful projects.

Please consider volunteering for aio Foundation. Email volunteer@aiofoundation.org. aio Amplify helps Hawai‘i’s nonprofits promote their messages. Learn more at www.aiofoundation.org/amplify.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

KE Y SERVICES PROVIDED The aio Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that supports academic, athletic and artistic programs that enable Hawai‘i’s youth to develop the skills and knowledge to become self-sustaining, community- minded contributors who work toward making the Islands a better place. Support is available for organizations offering opportunities in workforce/career development, life skills, communication, personal or cultural development for Hawai‘i’s youth. The aio Foundation offers sponsorships and a quarterly aio Amplify media outreach campaign program; these may be applied for via the Foundation website. In addition, the aio Foundation offers ongoing support to the Center for Tomorrow’s Leaders, the Hawai‘i’s Next 50 contest and the VEX IQ Hawai‘i robotics program. The Kahauiki Village community for homeless families is the aio Foundation’s marquee project.

Donations directly support initiatives like karate and educational programs for keiki at Kahauiki Village.

Help by making a donation at aioFoundation.org/donate or by mail aio Foundation attn: Kahauiki Village Karate Association 1000 Bishop Street, Suite 202 Honolulu, HI 96813.

Mahalo!

1000 Bishop Street, Suite 202 Honolulu, HI 96813

LEADERSHIP • • • •

Duane Kurisu, President Ken Miyasato, Vice President Jaime Kinoshita Oliveira, Vice President Bonny Amemiya, Treasurer

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• Susan Eichor, Secretary • John Dean, Director • Mel Kaneshige, Director

H G B S P OT L I G H T: F I N D YO U R C AU S E

P: 808-534-7505 E: president@aiofoundation.org www.aiofoundation.org facebook.com/aioFoundation facebook.com/KahauikiVillageKarate

Making a Difference The launch of Kahauiki Village has offered an affordable housing solution to allow qualified Hawai‘i families to live independently and with dignity.

Making a difference for families Kahauiki Village offers its tenants preschool and daycare facilities, karate and financial education programs, a sundry store, employment opportunities, and more.

Kahauiki Village impact Phase 2 was fully completed in Q2, 2020. When fully occupied, Kahauiki Village will house about 650 residents, roughly half of whom will be children.

These 144 families represent more than one-half of homeless families formerly in transitional housing on O‘ahu.

Where are we now?

Phase 1 completed January 2018: 30 units housing 115 residents (51 adults, 64 children) Phase 2 initial move-in Summer 2019 Phase 2 completed May 2020: Additional one- and two-bedroom homes and community resource spaces, totaling 144 housing units after completion

Find out how you can help at

www.kahauiki.org

Kahauiki Village is a program under the aio Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, Tax ID #94-3278794.

aiofoundation.org

Armed Services YMCA Hawai‘i Mission: The Armed Services YMCA Hawai‘i enhances the lives of military members and their families in spirit, mind and body through programs relevant to the unique challenges of military life.

EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES • • • • • • •

Military Family Breakfast ‘Eha Koa Golf Tournament Military Children’s Ball Father Daughter Dances Operation Ride Home Operation Holiday Joy Summer Camps

HOW YOU CAN HELP

KE Y SERVICES PROVIDED Since 1917, Armed Services YMCA (ASYMCA) Hawai‘i has adapted to the ever-changing needs of our military ohana and this year has been no different. In the wake of COVID-19, we pivoted to meet the evolving challenges faced by military families. You made it possible to deliver food assistance to junior enlisted families whose spouse became unemployed; conduct 58 weekly online early education classes for military dependent preschoolers; and assist dual military families and single military members with emergency childcare. Now, as we begin fully reopening programs, your support allows us to proceed in a safe, effective, and efficient manner.

Keeping our military families healthy and strong is what we do Every. Single. Day. We don’t just owe it to them, we owe it to our nation. With your help, ASYMCA will continue providing an array of programs and services that provide stability during uncertain times. Through programs like Operation Hero, which provides deployment support for children, or affordable high-quality early childhood programs like Parent Participation Preschool and Early Learning Readiness, or even, emergency financial support through Food Pantries or Operation Holiday Joy, with your help we empower military families to carry on with courage and strength in their extraordinary everyday lives. Please join us in Strengthening Our Military ‘Ohana.

Strong families. Strong community. Strong Nation.

We offer meaningful volunteer opportunities for schools, civic clubs, churches, businesses and individuals. Corporate and individual giving welcome.

1260 Pierce St., Suite 145, Pearl Harbor, HI 96860

LEADERSHIP Laurie Moore Executive Director B OA R D O FFI C ER S

Lt Gen Dan “Fig” Leaf, USAF (Ret.), Chairman; Robert Borek, Vice Chairman; Nancy White, Secretary; Mike DeCaprio, Treasurer

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B OA R D M EM B ER S

Don Anderson; Laura Aquilino; Pam Cabrera; Sandy Chadwick; Mildred Courtney; Susan Cowan; Fran DeNinno; Sarah Fargo; Rebekah Jarrard; Theresa LaCamera; Paul L’Ecuyer; Col Reese Liggett, USAF (Ret.); CAPT Michael Lilly, USN (Ret.); MG Joe Logan, USA (Ret.); Sally Mist; Carol Nelson; Elizabeth Pouliot; Eddie Quan; Holly Rudder; COL David Shanahan, USA (Ret.); Margaret Sibley; Vivien Stackpole; Jeannine Wiercinski; Cindy Wilsbach

H G B S P OT L I G H T: F I N D YO U R C AU S E

P: 808-473-3398 E: outreachdirector@asymcahi.org asymcahi.org Facebook & Instagram: @ASYMCAHawaii YouTube: Armed Services YMCA Hawai‘i

Friends of the Library of Hawai‘i Mission: The Friends of the Library of Hawai‘i exists to promote and support Hawai‘i’s public libraries.

The primary objectives of the Friends of the Library of Hawai‘i shall be: • To assist in maintaining free public libraries in the state of Hawai‘i.

• To increase the facilities of the public library system of Hawai‘i by securing materials beyond the scope of the ordinary library budget.

• To award continuing education and scholarship grants.

• To focus attention on all public libraries.

• To encourage and accept by bequest or gift, donations of books, manuscripts, money, and other appropriate material that can enrich the cultural opportunities available to the people of Hawai‘i.

• To promote the extension of library services throughout the state of Hawai‘i.

EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES Support our Fundraisers • Shop our Online Bookstore at flhhawaii.org/onlinebookstore.

• Shop at our BOOKS @ Mark’s Bookstore in downtown Honolulu.

• Shop our 10-day Annual Book Sale each summer at McKinley High School.

• Shop the Art & Book Sale (November) at Washington Middle School.

• Shop the Music & Book Sale (January) at Washington Middle School.

• Play in the Links to Literacy golf tournament each fall at Kapolei Golf Club.

Participate in and Sponsor our Programs • Join the Reading Programs at the 51 public libraries.

• Cheer on the Ko‘olauloa Battle of the Books.

• Visit your local branch for Free Comic Book Day. • Join a local storytime for Every Child Ready to Read tips.

• Donate to Makana Akamai, the gift of knowledge.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

KE Y SERVICES PROVIDED Established in 1879, the Friends of the Library of Hawai‘i, or FLH, exists to support and promote Hawai‘i’s 51 public libraries. FLH provides funding outside the regular state budget to support statewide literacy programs, grants to library branches, continuing education for library staff, scholarships for the next generation of librarians, technology upgrades, grant writing, and selection of the Librarian of the Year and Excellence in Service awardees each year.

Friends of the Library of Hawai‘i is a membership organization. Please support us through membership, donation or bequest, visit one of our fundraisers, or sponsor a program we fund.

LEADERSHIP TO P E X EC U TI V ES

B OA R D O F D I R EC TO R S

• Nainoa Mau, executive director

• • • • • •

O FFI C ER S

• • • •

Lynnae Lee, president Kathy Fay, vice president Gregory Valen, treasurer Kalani Sloat, secretary

Marlene Booth Jane Dickson Amanda McCann Susan A. Li Keith Oda Maia Rosen

E X- O FFI C I O

• Stacey Aldrich, state librarian

• • • • •

Brian Sekiguchi Allene R. Suemori Jennifer Thompson Richard Wasnich Alan Yamamoto

99-1132 Iwaena St., ‘Aiea, Hawai‘i 96701 P: 808-536-4174 F: 808-536-5232 E: info@friendsofthelibraryofhawaii.org FLHhawaii.org

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Catholic Charities Hawai‘i Mission: Catholic Charities Hawai‘i provides a wide range of social services for the people of Hawai‘i, regardless of their faith or culture. We are a community of hope providing services with dignity, compassion, social justice and a commitment to excellence.

HOW YOU CAN HELP Help by Making a Donation: • CatholicCharitiesHawaii.org • Mail a check to: Catholic Charities Hawai‘i 1822 Ke‘eaumoku St. Honolulu, HI 96822 • Tribute/memorial gift • Matching gift • Appreciated securities or life insurance • Planned giving

KE Y SERVICES PROVIDED

For more information, call 808-527-4820

Catholic Charities Hawai‘i was chartered in 1947 by the Maryknoll Sisters to carry out the social mission of the church. Today, we continue their legacy of caring by providing help to people in need, regardless of their faith or culture.

Catholic Charities Hawai‘i provides help and hope to over 40,000 individuals each year through over 40 programs and services statewide. Some of these services include: • Assisting homeless families, individuals, veterans and seniors with supportive and financial services to obtain stable housing • Offering outreach and counseling services for families, children and individuals • Keeping foster youth of all ages safe and supported in caring and nurturing homes • Strengthening at-risk families to develop the skills and support they need to provide a safe and stable environment • Empowering immigrants to have a significant role in their own self-determination • Sustaining independent living for seniors

O‘ahu: 808-524-4673 Hawai‘i Island: 808-933-4357 Maui: 808-873-4673 Kaua‘i: 808-241-4673

LEADERSHIP • Robert Van Tassell, President & CEO • Tina Andrade, Vice President - Mission Integration • Paul Kobayashi, Vice President - Finance • Mary Leong Saunders, Vice President - Philanthropy • Stella M. Q. Wong, Vice President - Programs

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1822 Ke‘eaumoku St. Honolulu, HI 96822

B OA R D O F D I R EC TO R S

Kim Jones, Board Chair, Paul M. Saito, Esq., Chair-Elect, Linda Nishigaya, Board Vice President, David M. Kostecki, Board Treasurer, Vernon Wong, Board Secretary, Abe Correia, Shirley H. David, Alan Ito, Stephen Kealoha, Sr. Bitrina Kirway, MM, Christina Laney Mitre, Jeffrey A.S. Moniz, Kathleen Morimoto, Diane Murakami, Jacob B. Noh, Melissa Pavlicek, Linda S. Puu, Claudine San Nicolas, Eddie Ontai, Very Rev. Msgr. Gary Secor, David Shanahan, Most Rev. Clarence Silva, Tyler Tokioka, Robert Van Tassell, Sylvia Yuen

H G B S P OT L I G H T: F I N D YO U R C AU S E

CatholicCharitiesHawaii.org facebook.com/CatholicCharitiesHI Instagram: @catholiccharitieshawaii YouTube Channel: CatholicCharitiesHI

COMMUNITY OF HOPE

Since 1947, Catholic Charities Hawai’i has been a community of hope that promotes the dignity of each person by helping others empower themselves. Catholic Charities Hawai’i has been committed to serving our community, especially those with the greatest need. We serve all people regardless of their faith or culture.

Some of the more than 40 programs & services we provide include: Housing/Homelessness Assistance – Catholic Charities Hawai’i provides various housing placement programs for individuals, families and military veterans.

CCH is also providing rental assistance to those impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Family Assessment Center – This facility located in Honolulu helps transition homeless families with young children to long-term housing within approximately 90 days.

Lanakila Multi-Purpose Senior Center – The largest senior center in the state offers recreation, education, and social interaction for seniors 60 years and older.

Counseling Center – Professional therapists offer individuals, couples and families counseling and support toward healthy relationships and personal wellness.

Sessions address issues such as depression, anxiety, stress, grief, abuse, trauma, family problems and relationship challenges.

To make a donation or learn more about our programs, go to catholiccharitieshawaii.org or call (808) 524–4673.

Hale Kipa Mission: Hale Kipa provides opportunities and environments that strengthen and encourage youth, their families and communities to actualize their potential and social responsibility.

EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES 50 YEARS OF SERVICE to 65,000-plus youth In 2020: • We moved to ‘Ewa Beach to increase access for youth and families.

• We went virtual to provide multiple services, including teletherapy.

• We opened Lydia’s House in collaboration with the Lili‘uokalani Trust.

KE Y SERVICES PROVIDED Hale Kipa’s programs bring together extensive experience, the support of the government and community and the efforts of our dedicated staff to form a continuum of services, from prevention to residential. By design and in practice, Hale Kipa’s programs are intended to be proactive in helping youth overcome challenges at the earliest point of intervention so that they can embark on journeys toward bright and promising futures.

Hale Kipa provides housing when there is nowhere else to go, as well as counseling and support services, PPE, school supplies and equipment for those with specialized needs.

• • • • • •

45% of Youth served are of Native Hawaiian descent 56% of Youth are Female, 44% are Male 66% of Youth are ages 13-17 Ages of Youth and Young Adults served range from 3 to 24 27 programs 4.6 Consumer Satisfaction Score (1-5 rating scale; 1 low, 5 high)

HOW YOU CAN HELP • Visit HaleKipa.org and make a contribution.

• Join your corporate matching gift plan and choose Hale Kipa.

• Contact lhamm@halekipa. org to discuss a Legacy Gift.

• Join our simple RoundUp app by visiting roundup.app/p/hk Mahalo nui loa for your support!

LEADERSHIP E X EC U TI V E O FFI C ER S

B OA R D O F D I R EC TO R S

• Punky Pletan-Cross, chief executive officer • Jaque Kelley-Uyeoka, deputy chief executive officer • Gwen Okamoto, chief financial officer • Dori Tyau, director of human resources

• Scott Seu, chair • Michael Magaoay, first vice chair • Susan Utsugi, second vice chair • Gregory Sitar, treasurer • Luke Yeh, secretary • Katie Bennett

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H G B S P OT L I G H T: F I N D YO U R C AU S E

• • • • • • • •

Heidi Cregor Chris Deuchar Virginia Hinshaw Lanson Kupau Jean Odo Judy Pyle Richard Sakoda Zadoc Brown Jr.

91-2128 Old Fort Weaver Road ‘Ewa Beach, HI 96706 P: 808-589-1829 E: info@halekipa.org HaleKipa.org

Hawaii Literacy Mission: Hawaii Literacy gives adults a second chance to learn to read and write, helps disadvantaged children succeed in school, and trains volunteers for our communities. We provide books, technology, and tutors so that literacy is no longer a barrier to better jobs, reading as a family, or finishing school.

HOW YOU CAN HELP • Awareness: 1 in 6 adults struggles to read. Your encouragement to a friend or family member can be the difference!

• Wish List: School supplies (scissors, backpacks, colored pencils, glue, etc.) and program supplies (sandwich bags, paper towels, cleaning materials) are big needs in our work with 2,600 lowincome keiki.

• Donate: Year-end or holiday donations support our community-based programs!

• Volunteer: Help adults and keiki build lifelong reading skills!

• Employee Giving: Support literacy through Aloha United Way, AUW code #96240.

KE Y SERVICES PROVIDED Hawaii Literacy serves over 3,100 adults and children who struggle with reading and writing in five free and proven programs: • Adult Literacy tutoring in reading and writing for English-speaking adults on O‘ahu, Kaua‘i, or Kona, including at many public library branches, Parent Corners and TechTimes to help learners and tutors bridge the digital divide • English Language Learner classes for adults learning to speak English • Family Literacy Libraries offer literacy and after-school education programs for 800 families in Mayor Wright and Kuhio Park public housing.

• Bookmobile & Peer Tutoring project serves youth at 12 sites on the Wai‘anae Coast and high-need sites in Honolulu. Launching service at high-need sites in South Kona!

• Parents Achieving Literacy helps parents support their own children in becoming readers, even when they are not confident readers themselves.

LEADERSHIP O FFI C ER S

B OA R D O F D I R EC TO R S

Brandon Kurisu, President, Upspring Media/AIO Digital, Jason Fujita, Vice-President, Hawaiian Telcom, Jamie Asato, Co-Treasurer, Accuity, LLC, Aaron K. Masuoka, Co-Treasurer, CPA LLC, Jill Takasaki Canfield, Secretary, Hawaii Literacy

Mitchell Ka‘aiali‘i, First Hawaiian Bank, Kevin Katsura, Hawaiian Electric Company, Kara Kitazaki-Chun, HMSA, Sean K. Knox, HiEmployment, Jason Masaki, Direct Support Resources, Doug Shimokawa, PACXA, R. Scott Simon, Simon Leadership Group, Ann Teranishi, American Savings Bank, G. Todd Withy, G. Todd Withy Law Offices, James A. Wong, Zelinsky Company

Jill Takasaki Canfield, Executive Director P: 808-537-6706 E: info@hawaiiliteracy.org hawaiiliteracy.org Social Media: @hawaiiliteracy

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Hawai‘i Dental Service Foundation Mission: The HDS Foundation was established by the Hawai‘i Dental Service, or HDS, to improve the oral health of Hawai‘i’s communities by providing grants to local nonprofit organizations for initiatives that provide oral health education, prevent oral disease, and increase access to dental care for underserved populations.

HOW YOU CAN HELP More partners are needed across our islands to help improve oral health. HDS Foundation encourages local nonprofit organizations to apply for grants to create oral health programs or projects that benefit the underserved in our community. Grant submission deadlines are on December 15 and June 15 annually.

HDS Foundation will consider programs and projects that promote:

KE Y SERVICES PROVIDED INVESTMENTS IN ORAL HEALTH As the first and leading nonprofit dental benefits provider in Hawai‘i, HDS serves nearly a million Hawai‘i residents. The HDS Foundation invests in its oral health initiatives, Dentist by One, Sealants in Schools, and Kupuna Smiles, and has contributed more than $7.1 million in grants over the past five years to vital programs and services that help Hawai‘i’s underserved, many of whom do not have dental insurance or access to dental care. Organizations that received grants in 2019 include: • • • • • • • •

Aloha Medical Mission Bay Clinic Community Clinic of Maui Dental Lifeline Network Hāmākua Health Center Hui No Ke Ola Pono The Queen’s Medical Center Special Olympics Hawai‘i

• UH Foundation – Maui College Dental Hygiene Program • UH Foundation – Hawai‘i Keiki, Sealants in Schools • Wahiawā Center for Community Health • Waikīkī Health • West Hawai‘i Community Health Center

H DS FO U N DATI O N

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Learn more about HDS Foundation grants at HDSFoundation.gives.

900 Fort Street Mall, Suite 1900 Honolulu, Hawaii 96813-3705 P: 808-521-1431 Toll Free: 800-232-2533

LEADERSHIP • Mason A. Savage, D.D.S., chair • Charles R. Sugiyama, D.D.S., vice chair • Emi Eno Orikasa, D.D.S., president

• Oral health education • Prevention of oral disease • Access to dental care by underserved populations

• Mark H. Yamakawa, vice president • Cheryl Takitani-Smith, treasurer • Shere Saneishi-Kim, director and secretary

H G B S P OT L I G H T: F I N D YO U R C AU S E

H AWA I ‘ I D EN TA L S ERV I C E

• Mark H. Yamakawa, president and CEO

HDSFoundation.gives HawaiiDentalService.com Blog: HawaiiDentalServiceBlog.com Facebook: @hawaiidentalservice Instagram: @hawaiidentalservice Twitter: @hidentalservice

We Invest in Our Future Dental Professionals Hawaii Dental Service Community Scholarship Awards The HDS Foundation established the Hawaii Dental Service Community Scholarship Fund to support local students pursuing a degree in dentistry or dental hygiene. In 2020, the HDS Foundation awarded a total of $60,000 in scholarships to the following students:

STARLYNE ABUT

$5,000 Undergraduate 3rd year, Dental Hygiene University of Hawaii - Maui College

BRITNAY JARALBA

$5,000 Undergraduate 2nd Year, Dental Hygiene University of Hawaii at Manoa

KRYSTIN KUBO

KIANA MARIE SOLIVEN

ELSA LIN

SOPHIA OAK

$5,000 Undergraduate 2nd year, Dental Hygiene University of Hawaii at Manoa

LAYKE YAMAUCHI

Graduate 2nd Year, Dentistry University of Washington

Graduate 2nd Year, Dentistry University of Washington

$10,000

$10,000

MELISSA YEE

$5,000 Undergraduate 2nd Year, Dental Hygiene University of Hawaii at Manoa

$10,000 Graduate 3rd year, Dentistry ATSU Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health

Graduate 1st year, Dentistry University of the Pacific

$10,000

Learn more about the HDS Foundation at www.HDSFoundation.gives.

Hawaiian Humane Society Mission: The Hawaiian Humane Society is dedicated to promoting the human-animal bond and the humane treatment of all animals.

EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES Hawaiian Humane has a robust annual calendar of community and animal welfare events that strengthen the human-animal bond and help keep pets with their families. Visit hawaiianhumane.org for the latest.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

KE Y SERVICES PROVIDED The Hawaiian Humane Society is a nonprofit education and advocacy organization that shelters, protects, rescues, reunites and rehomes animals. Established in 1883, it is O‘ahu’s only animal welfare organization that welcomes all animals.

The Hawaiian Humane Society is not a chapter of any group, and gifts made directly to this independent, local organization go directly toward helping O‘ahu’s animals and people. Between July 2019 and July 2020, Hawaiian Humane Society programs and services helped tens of thousands of animals. This includes finding new homes for 6,871 homeless pets, fostering 1,991 young or ill animals, and reuniting 2,355 lost animals with their families. The Pet Food Bank also provided 29,630 pounds of pet food to members of the community. In these challenging times, the community is a vital lifeline. Supporting the Hawaiian Humane Society directly helps O‘ahu’s animals in need.

There are many ways to support the Hawaiian Humane Society, even in challenging times like these: donating supplies; volunteering; fostering; advocating for stronger animal welfare laws; cash or check donations; tribute gifts; gifts from IRA, life insurance, bequests or appreciated stocks. When possible, we also partner with corporations on volunteer projects, adoption events, event sponsorships and more!

LEADERSHIP B OA R D O F D I R EC TO R S

Ginny Tiu, chair; Tim Brauer, vice chair; Mike Ching, treasurer; Becki Ward, secretary; Eric Ako, DVM; and board members Robert H. Armstrong, Gina Woo Anonuevo, Robert R. Bean, Shelley Cramer, John C. Dean, Nick Dreher, Elisia Flores, Ernest H. Fukeda Jr., Elizabeth Rice Grossman, Dede Guss, Mi Kosasa, Susan Kosasa, Stephen B. Metter, David Y. Okabe, Melissa Teves Pavlicek, Lawrence D. Rodriguez, Virginia Weinman, Rick Zwern E X EC U TI V ES

Anna Neubauer, president and CEO; Dr. Kasey Carter, chief veterinarian; Daniel Roselle, director of community relations; KC Collins, director of development; Laurie Kawasaki, director of finance; Natalie Spencer, director of human resources

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2700 Wai‘alae Ave., Honolulu, HI 96826 P: 808-356-2200 E: info@hawaiianhumane.org HawaiianHumane.org

IT’S EASY TO GIVE, WHEN YOU GET SO MUCH BACK IN RETURN. ADOPT. DONATE. VOLUNTEER.

Join our cause at HawaiianHumane.org.

Honolulu Museum of Art Mission: The Honolulu Museum of Art inspires, uplifts, and connects our community through transformative art and educational experiences that celebrate the study, preservation, presentation, and creation of art.

EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES Experience our collection in person in the galleries, or take advantage of our new digital resources and virtual museum programming accessible online. Designed to enrich our understanding of the HoMA collection and exhibitions, these digital resources are among the ways we’re committed to providing our community with relevant, engaging and transformative museum experiences.

HOW YOU CAN HELP KE Y SERVICES PROVIDED HoMA is a unique gathering place where art, history, culture, education and varying worldviews converge right in the heart of Honolulu. The museum hosts more than 50,000 pieces of art from all corners of the globe, with works from ancient to contemporary times and representing all major cultures of Hawai‘i and beyond. Whether you’re visiting our galleries for the first time, reviving your love of art through a hands-on creative experience, exploring the museum’s outdoor spaces and iconic courtyards, browsing a selection of art-inspired offerings at the Shop, or stopping in for lunch at the Café, HoMA strives to be a vital part of Hawai‘i’s cultural landscape. We are committed to serving the community as a place to learn, be inspired, and connect to the world.

900 South Beretania St., Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96814

LEADERSHIP • Halona Norton-Westbrook, director • Allison Wong, deputy director of administration and operations • Aaron Padilla, director of Learning and Engagement • Budd Lauer, director of Advancement • Catherine Whitney, director of Curatorial Affairs

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Become a museum member or contribute to our Annual Fund. Your support allows the Honolulu Museum of Art to serve our community as one of the state’s most dynamic and treasured cultural resources.

• Cynthia Low, director of Collections • Jason Morrison, director of Campus Operations • Kevin Imanaka, chief communications officer • Sharon Stillman, director of Human Resources • Tania Ginoza, chief financial officer

H G B S P OT L I G H T: F I N D YO U R C AU S E

P: 808-532-8700 E: info@honolulumuseum.org honolulumuseum.org Social media: @honolulumuseum.org

Art that inspires, connects, and transforms.

The Institute for Human Services Mission: At IHS, our mission is to create and offer tailored solutions for those in crisis, and nurture homeless people toward greater self-direction and responsibility. We help end or avert homelessness for nearly 6000 individuals on O‘ahu each year.

EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES Join us for the Homeward Bound Virtual 5K on Thursday, Nov. 26, 2020. $25-$35 entry fee gets you a race T-shirt and a rewarding Thanksgiving morning.

Visit ihshawaii.org/hb5k to learn more.

Stay tuned for more opportunities in 2021!

HOW YOU CAN HELP

KE Y SERVICES PROVIDED As Hawai‘i’s oldest, largest, and most comprehensive human services agency focused on ending and preventing homelessness, IHS is a critical safety net for those in crisis.

IHS operates an expansive shelter system on O‘ahu, including two large emergency shelters and a housing navigation center where converted shipping containers serve as housing units. We also have five specialty shelters that serve veterans, medically frail homeless individuals, and/or those going through substance abuse treatment. We operate one of the only shelters on the island where pets are welcomed with their owners.

IHS’ scope of services includes homeless outreach, street medicine, wellness services, family programs, housing placement, and employment services. In short, we help individuals in crisis to access all of the services they need to get off the streets or to remain in their homes.

B OA R D O F D I R EC TO R S

Jayson Harper, President David Morimoto, Finance Chair Ellen G. Carson, Governance Chair Tracy Tonaki, Secretary Lynne Unemori, External Affairs Chair K. James Steiner, Jr. Esq., Audit Chair Julie Arigo Ian Bigelow LeeAnn Crabbe

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The Institute for Human Services Ending the Cycle of Homelessness

546 Ka‘a‘ahi St. Honolulu, HI 96817

LEADERSHIP • • • • • • • • •

We are always looking for partners to help us end homelessness. Volunteers are needed in areas such as donation sorting, tutoring (live or virtual), data entry, landscaping and more.

Donations are welcomed at our women’s and family shelter.

• • • • • • • • •

Sharon Crofts Duke DuTeil Jerry Gibson Fr. David Gierlach Kenneth Hansen Jeffrey Harris Ian Hogan Ed Hope Craig McGinnis

H G B S P OT L I G H T: F I N D YO U R C AU S E

• • • • • • • • •

Nani Medeiros Lauren Nahme Joanna Oshiro Kuuhaku Park Keala Peters Curtis Saiki Elizabeth "Annie" Valentin Joseph Viola Tammy Yokogawa-King

P: 808-447-2800 E: info@ihshawaii.org ihshawaii.org Facebook.com/ihshawaii Instagram.com/ihshawaii

HOPE FOR TH E H OL I DAYS Help make the season bright for a family in need

Your support makes a difference.

For those who are homeless or at risk of losing their homes, there is no gift greater than a place to call their own.

The Institute for Human Services, Inc. Ending the Cycle of Homelessness

Give the gift of hope ihshawaii.org/donate

Pālama Settlement Mission: Our mission is to partner with those who have the greatest needs in our community, empowering them to enhance their well-being through education, health and recreation.

EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES • Malama Palama Gala (September) • Keiki Thanksgiving Dinner (November) • Neighborhood Holiday Party (December) • Miscellaneous volunteer opportunities throughout the year Please contact us for more information.

1972

2020

KE Y SERVICES PROVIDED We celebrate 125 years of pioneering social work in 2021, and look forward to future decades serving keiki to kūpuna.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Our storied history is one of resilience in times of adversity, meeting hardship with creative solutions for helping Honolulu’s most needy.

• Individual and major gifts • Corporate sponsorships and giving • Estate and planned gifts • Trust and foundation grants

1918/2020: In the 1918 pandemic, Pālama transformed Pa Ola Camp from a place where young tubercular keiki could recuperate, to a hospital for pandemic patients.

Today, during the coronavirus pandemic, we focus efforts on our neighbors’ greatest need: food security.

1933/2020: During the Great Depression, Pālama provided vegetable gardens and taught job-related classes for the unemployed. Today we train our keiki for future careers in culinary arts, coding and robotics.

To make a gift, please visit palamasettlement.org/donate or call 808-848-2532.

1969/2020: Sports provide a way out of poverty. In 1969, the Pālama Scorpions football team made its first Mainland trip. Today, Pākōlea trains young athletes while requiring scholastic achievement to earn time on the field.

LEADERSHIP 810 N. Vineyard Boulevard Honolulu, HI 96817

B OA R D O F T R U S T EES

• Lauren Yoo, president • Cedric I. Yamanaka, 1st vice president • Sanford Morioka, 2nd vice president • Pauline J. Wun, 3rd vice president • Neil Tagawa, treasurer

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• • • • • • • •

David H. Tsuda, secretary Catherine Camp William A. Elliott John Fielding Jared Kashiwabara Charles Lee Randy M. Leong Ron M. Okamura

H G B S P OT L I G H T: F I N D YO U R C AU S E

• • • • •

Marissa Cayetano Ross Katie Stephens Wayne N. Sunahara Benjamin Wang Paula Rath, trustee emeritus • Conrad Loui, executive director

P: 808-845-3945 F: 808-847-2873 E: info@palamasettlement.org palamasettlement.org Facebook: @malamapalama Instagram: @palamasettlement

Shriners Hospitals for Children — Honolulu Mission: Transforming the lives of keiki by providing exceptional specialty care for all bone, muscle and joint issues in a family-centered environment.

EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES Visit ShrinersHonolulu.org for details and ways to get involved.

• Outreach clinic visits on Kaua‘i, Maui and Hawai‘i Island.

• Satellite clinic visits throughout the Pacific Basin.

• Community informational nights.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

KE Y SERVICES PROVIDED Shriners Hospitals for Children — Honolulu provides care for orthopedic and neuromusculoskeletal disorders and conditions affecting children in Hawai‘i and the Pacific Basin. Since opening in 1923, the Honolulu Shriners Hospital has cared for more than 43,000 patients. Roughly 8,000 keiki are seen each year, with nearly 80% coming from Hawai‘i. The hospital houses 24 inpatient beds, 10 outpatient exam rooms and a walk-in injury clinic. An on-site 17-bed family center accommodates patients and families who travel to O‘ahu for care. Medical teams regularly stand up outreach missions and satellite clinics to serve more keiki in more places.

Shriners Hospitals for Children — Honolulu accepts insurance and provides care regardless of a family’s ability to pay.

1310 Punahou St., Honolulu, HI 96826

LEADERSHIP E X EC U TI V ES

• Anton C. Smith, MBA, administrator • Jonathan Pellett, MD, interim chief of staff • Anita Becker, DNP, RN, nurse executive and director of patient care services • Keith Sanderson, director of finance

When it comes to fundraising, the possibilities are endless!

Whether you attend a community event or host a fundraiser of your own, every dollar you raise helps make an immediate and memorable impact on keiki and their ‘ohana. For ways to participate, contact 808-951-3765 or hon.development@shrinenet.org.

B OA R D O F G OV ER N O R S E X EC U TI V E CO M M IT T EE

• • • •

Marc Rubenstein, chairman David Lusk, vice chairman Dustin Verity, treasurer Mark Leo, secretary

P: 808-941-4466 ShrinersHonolulu.org Let's be social! Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn @ShrinersHON

H G B S P OT L I G H T: F I N D YO U R C AU S E

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Waikīkī Health Mission: Waikīkī Health’s mission is to provide quality medical and social services that are accessible and affordable for everyone, regardless of ability to pay. Waikīkī Health places special emphasis on assisting underserved populations, including those who are homeless, living at or below poverty level, uninsured or underinsured.

EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES Every February, Waikīkī Health co-hosts “Give Kids a Smile,” which provides free dental care to keiki, and our Wellness Fair every August celebrates National Health Center Week. In April 2022, a fundraising gala and silent auction will mark our 55th anniversary.

KE Y SERVICES PROVIDED Waikīkī Health provides a “medical home” that considers the physical and mental health needs of the whole person. The ‘Ōhua Clinic in Waikīkī offers primary and preventive medical care fully integrated with behavioral health and Native Hawaiian healing, pharmacy services, optometry, EIS (HIV/Hepatitis C Early Intervention Services), chronic disease management, HIV/AIDS services, care coordination, pediatric care, tobacco cessation, medical nutrition therapy and social services. The Makahiki Clinic in McCully-Mō‘ili‘ili offers medical care integrated with behavioral health, dental services, optometry, tobacco cessation and pharmacy services; the Youth Outreach (YO!) Drop-in Center & Clinic in Waikīkī provides medical care and social support to homeless youth; and the PATH Clinic provides perinatal care to women with a history of substance use disorders. The Next Step and Keauhou homeless shelters assist couples and individuals, the Pu‘uhonua Prison Program helps offenders successfully reenter the community, and our Emergency Department Diversion Plan helps reduce overutilization of hospital emergency departments.

HOW YOU CAN HELP Waikīkī Health welcomes monetary donations in any amount to sustain our services to the community; and in-kind contributions to assist our homeless clients (gently used clothing, backpacks, hygiene products, canned and packaged food, and store gift cards).

LEADERSHIP 277 ‘Ōhua Ave.

E X EC U TI V E O FFI C ER S

B OA R D O F D I R EC TO R S

• Phyllis Dendle,

• Edward Springer, President;

• Phil Acosta, Chair, Governance

Former Consultant and Advisor to the White House OMB, FBI • Ashley J. Noji, VP; Assistant VP, Deposits Product Manager, Bank of Hawaii • Scot Sterenberg, Treasurer/Chair, Finance Committee; Head of Office, Marsh Management • Paul Kaleolani Smith, Secretary/ Chair, Advocacy Committee; former Army medic

Committee; ED, Aloha Harvest, Food to Feed Hawaii’s Hungry • Thomas Namiki, MD, Chair, Quality Assurance Committee; Pathology, Queens Medical Center • Alexis Charpentier, Chair, Compensation & Succession Planning, DOH, HIV Transmission Reduction Coordinator • Barbara Bryan, Chair, Marketing & Development, Sales Professional, Berkshire Hathaway

Chief Executive Officer, Waikiki Health • Elliot J. Kalauawa, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Waikiki Health • Octavius Gonzaga, Chief Financial Officer, Waikiki Health

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H G B S P OT L I G H T: F I N D YO U R C AU S E

P: 808-537-8400 F: 808-922-6454 E: mlohman@waikikihealth.org waikikihealth.org Facebook.com/waikikihealth Instagram & Twitter: @waikikihealth

A Gift Today to Help Strengthen Our Tomorrow‌

You do not need to possess great wealth to make a meaningful contribution to a cause you truly support‌ anyone can leave a personal legacy regardless of the size of the gift.

All donations will help ensure the long-term sustainability of our mission to provide quality medical and social services that are accessible and affordable for everyone regardless of ability to pay.

If you have questions or want to share your thoughts on leaving a gift to Waikiki Health, please call 808-537-8400 or visit our website at www.waikikihealth.org.

Pioneering Health and Social Service Solutions Since 1967

COVID -19 R E LIE F

Coming Together to Do the Right Thing

We Are Oceania

BY POWELL BERGER

W

hen COVID struck, neighbors stepped up. One woman hired an out-of-work musician to play on her street several afternoons so neighbors could enjoy a socially distanced pau hana from their front yards. Neighbors in a Windward Side condo building went on a baking spree, leaving treats at each other’s front doors for weeks. Countless individuals and small businesses became master mask-makers, generously distributing them for free to first responders, essential workers, and then to friends.

But it didn’t stop there. Here’s just a few of the countless acts of kindness that have bubbled up during this unprecedented time.

HAWAI‘I GIVES BACK | 2020

COURTESY OF WE ARE OCEANIA

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J

osie Howard, WAO program director, knew she needed to do something, that COVID would likely impact Micronesians disproportionately, and that resources for her community would be scarce. “I’ve been told time and again that since we don’t vote, we don’t matter,” she says.

She partnered with the Salvation Army, Chef Hui, The Pantry, churches, and teachers to collect and distribute needed goods: food, diapers, formula, disinfecting supplies, gloves and masks. She gathered interpreters to help families seek medical advice and to file for unemployment. The work was daunting, but the successes made it worthwhile. In several households, where a dozen or more family members shared a small space and a single bathroom, she and her team kicked in when a family member was struck with COVID. They worked with the families to develop isolation procedures within the close quarters and to ensure the place was disinfected constantly. In many cases, the patient recovered without infecting anyone else in the household.

She says COVID is teaching us that we have to think inclusively. “As a navigator, I know I can’t control the wind,” she says, “but I can control the sails.”

Help Is On the Way

W

hen Greg Kim, a successful Honolulu corporate attorney and UH Law School professor, realized our kūpuna and isolated neighbors and friends would need help, he founded Help Is On the Way, a network of volunteers who get what’s needed to the people who need it. Much like the relief van on Maui, those in need simply place their orders or arrange for pickup, and Kim’s volunteers get those orders from point A to point B, whether it’s groceries, medicine, pet supplies or personal supplies.

Within two days of setting up the organization, Kim had 30 volunteers, boots on the ground getting goods to those who need it most. Not one to sit back and watch, Kim told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, “If you see something that needs to happen, do something.”

The group’s website makes it easy to volunteer and learn how to access its services. “Help Is On The Way does not have or need funding, which gives us great flexibility and the ability to move fast,” the website says.

Hometown Heroes by Hawai‘i National Bank

T

COURTESY OF HELP IS ON THE WAY

he folks at the bank saw what many of us saw: people making masks, helping out on the front lines, making and delivering meals to kūpuna, addressing mental health, using their platforms to share critical information and so much more.

They decided those hometown heroes deserved something for their work, so for six weeks, they asked the community to nominate a hometown hero for recognition. Each hero’s story is told on the bank’s website and each received a $100 cash gift for their good works.

“Most people were shocked, and many didn’t want to take the money,” says Bryan Luke, CEO of Hawai‘i National Bank. “But we encouraged them to take it and put it toward the work they were doing in the community.”

HAWAI‘I GIVES BACK | 2020

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Coming Together to Do the Right Thing Below: BGCH Hale Pono Clubhouse filled with Old Navy donations.

I

t’s tough to social distance in a clubhouse filled with children, volunteers and staff cooking, doing homework, playing games, talking story and more. When the Boys & Girls Club of Hawai‘i had to close its doors, staff members simply pivoted, taking many of their activities online via Zoom and other platforms. Clubhouses from O‘ahu to Kaua‘i host virtual workouts, jewelry making parties, homework help sessions, and more. The organization is also at work re-imagining the clubhouses in anticipation of reopening, eventually, creating socially distanced activities for keiki. And it’s establishing socially distant boundaries and retooling the clubhouses to maximize space. Lastly, it’s helping to keep keiki nourished, partnering with restaurants and other food providers in their communities so club members can swing by during the week for grab-and-go meals.

When Old Navy called, offering a generous donation of 50,000 pieces of new clothing to be distributed among the five clubhouses, each clubhouse called on its volunteers to sort, package and deliver the clothing to their members.

Once the clubhouses distributed clothing to their members, BGCH then extended the remaining clothing to Women In Need, Salvation Army, Waikiki Health, and more.

HAWAI‘I GIVES BACK | 2020

Hāna Community Relief Van

I

n partnership with Protect East Maui and Valley Isle Excursions, a group of committed East Maui residents launched Valley Isle Community Relief, dispatching a van every Friday to deliver orders from Costco, Target, Safeway and Petco to residents from Kahului to Hāna.

For free. Residents simply place their orders through Instacart, directing the order to be delivered to a set address during a specific time window, and the relief van team takes it from there.

The project follows strict COVID procedures, with minimal contact with the delivered goods, thorough van sanitation, and regular testing of the drivers. And of course, masks are used and social distancing is the norm.

COURTESY OF BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF HAWAI‘I

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Boys & Girls Club of Hawai‘i and Old Navy

Hawai‘i Gives Back

Quiz

FINDING YOUR CAUSE

F

or each of us, giving back means something different, and perhaps changes over the course of our lives. Some people are tireless volunteers and advocates. Others donate money—gifting sums small and large—while others give their skill, time, and talent freely.

We can all give. Sometimes it’s just a matter of understanding what kind of giver we are.

What about you? We invite you to take our Giving Quiz and find your power – your giving superpower.

Why do you get involved, donating money, time and skills to things you care about?

D

It’s a family thing.

We’ve always done it.

B

Networking. It’s something you have to do.

A

Make big change.

B

Galas and events are a good time!

What’s your go-to when it comes to giving back?

C

I have more money than time. I donate.

D+E I volunteer for events, from beach clean ups to galas.

B

I like to have fun, so I organize a group of friends and buy a table.

A

I prefer to sit on boards of organizations where I can make a difference.

When I give, the most important thing is that

My favorite non-profit asks me to support food delivery services and I C

Purchase a fleet of drones for the non-profit to use

E

Offer to deliver meals for them once a week

D

Write letters to get meals and volunteers year-round

B

Plan a fundraising event for the organization

A

Contact the Board of Directors for a trucking company and arrange an annual food drop-off route provided as a donation.

A

I am able to touch an individual life and make a difference

B

I’m able to get others involved and that feels good

D+E I make a difference because I’m in the right place at the right time A

I may never see the end-result, but I’m setting the foundation for great change

C

That I understand where my support is going

When I hear the word fundraiser and my favorite non-profit mentioned, I

When I volunteer, I feel most effective when I:

B

Ask immediately to work the auction table

A

C

Buy a table and invite my closest colleagues to support the event

Working with community leaders to address the issues

B

Stay on task to complete a project

D

Get busy designing the new website to hold a web-version of the auction

A

Ask how the fundraiser is going to help deliver program improvements

E

D+E Making life-long relationships A

Am delivering services and volunteering my time

C

Have brought a new initiative to life

Ask about ways that I can volunteer or join a committee

Tally your selections and turn to the following page to find out what your giving superpower is.

A

B

D

E

C

HAWAI‘I GIVES BACK | 2020

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QUIZ RESULTS If you received mostly A’s, you’re a “Visionary” through and through. You should look at organizations and foundations that focus on systemic change. Check out aio Foundation, Hale Kipa, Hawaii Literacy, Hawai‘i Dental Service Foundation, or the Institute for Human Services.

No matter what your results were, you have the power to make a difference in our community.

Don’t spend 2021 thinking about becoming more involved, take action and learn more about what you can do today to make an impact on the lives of others.

If you received mostly B’s, you’re a “Connector” and just live to bring people and ideas together. Take a look at the After-School All-Stars Hawai‘i, Honolulu Museum of Art, Hawaiian Humane Society, or the Armed Services YMCA Hawai‘i.

A. Visionary, with a knack to see the big picture and the will, focus, and drive to move towards that vision.

If you received mostly C’s, you are a “Funder” and have more money than time. You have confidence that organizations with the right leadership and vision can do great things. Every non-profit profile in Hawai‘i Gives Back has programs for you to support. The important thing for you to do is understand where your passion lies and to learn more about the non-profit organizations in our community. From healthcare organizations like Shriners Hospital for Children or Waikīkī Health to faith-based organizations like Catholic Charities Hawai‘i, let your heart guide you and read each profile carefully.

If you received mostly D’s and E’s, you’re not failing, in fact you have talent to share as a “Tactician or Deliverer.” You have the tools needed to bring projects to life. Consider Friends of Hawai‘i Library, Pālama Settlement, or After-School All-Stars Hawai‘i and make a big impact on the programs and projects for these organizations.

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HAWAI‘I GIVES BACK | 2020

B. Connector, with an endless contacts list and a keen ability to bring people together on a shared project or idea.

C. Funder, with very little time but the resources to make a difference if the project meets your approval as something worthy for the community you love.

D. Tactician, with highly honed skills, whether it’s accounting, marketing, construction, art, writing, web design, throwing epic events, or something else.

E. Deliverer, the one most likely to sign up to help events at church, school, or the community holiday party. P

stronger together.

Every day, we’re inspired by the resilience and strength of our community. We see it in the people who work tirelessly to keep their businesses open and in those who help to keep us safe.

Bank of Hawaii Foundation is committed to supporting the Hawaii Community Foundation’s Hawaii Resilience Fund to provide essential health, food, and economic assistance to our community.

Together we are stronger and together we will build a better tomorrow.

Learn more about how you can help at HawaiiResilienceFund.org.

MY FUTURE IS

Priceless

OUR KEIKI ARE NOT FOR SALE. Ho‘ōla Nā Pua is committed to the prevention of sex trafficking and providing care for children who have been exploited. We envision a community where children can embrace their bright futures.

Together we can have a bright future.

Text PUA to 41444 to GIVE. FdÕùj

hoolanapua.org

Ho‘ōla Nā Pua means “New Life For Our Children” and is a 501(c)3 incorporated in 2013. FEIN 46-5139164