Creating
CHANGE
East Hawai‘i Fund Strengthens The Kohala Center
Situated at the nexus of ancient Hawaiian practice and cutting-edge technology is The Kohala Center (TKC). A perpetual motion machine, this high-performing nonprofit aims to always grow the community’s relationship with the ‘āina, and leverage that kinship to spur economic development. Thanks to a FLEX grant from the East Hawai‘i Fund of the Hawai‘i Community Foundation, the dedicated staff and volunteers also can carve out time for professional Liam Kernell development. Communications Director The Kohala Center “The FLEX grant really helps,” says Liam Kernell, Communications Director of TKC. “It helps us make a far greater impact in East Hawai‘i. It gives a small nonprofit the means to take care of our own internal needs, beyond our
For All… And for
“We’re trying to move East Hawai‘i toward a state of pono.”
Photo Courtesy of The Kohala Center
Students from the Kohala Center’s Oha- ha- High School AgriCULTURE program.
programmatic requirements. And it gives us some space to explore the history and ecosystems of North Hawai‘i Island, and remind ourselves what it means to keep Kohala at the center of our mission.” Four successful TKC initiatives are able to continue with FLEX support, Kernell notes. SNAP ED cooking and nutrition demonstrations are held at community centers and farmers markets. Instructors encourage and educate residents of East Hawai‘i to prepare food from healthy ingredients found at local farmers markets.
Ohaha High School AgriCULTURE introduces young people to local food production, a possible career in agriculture, and “kilo,” the traditional Hawaiian practice of environmental observation to know when to plant or harvest. Many students ask to come back and go through the program again. Partnership with Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to better understand air quality, and in the aftermath of last year’s volcano eruption, MIT installed sensors throughout Kohala to measure pollutants and sulfur dioxide levels from VOG – all in real-time data published on Voginfo.net.
Food Basket in Hilo makes meals available to seniors and lowincome residents. Food Basket staff delivered emergency assistance and food during the lava eruptions to thousands of displaced residents. The lava has since stopped, but the need has not. “We can do better,” says Kernell. “With more support, we can be present at public events, serve the community, help people thrive economically and socially. We’re trying to move East Hawai‘i toward a state of pono.”
DID YOU KNOW:
The East Hawai‘i Fund was established in 2010 to benefit the people of Hāmākua, North Hilo, Hilo, Puna, and Ka‘ū. Over $16M in grants HCF have supported our local communities through grants to Hawai‘i Island nonprofits in the past three years.
Learn how to transform your generosity into lasting change at HawaiiCommunityFoundation.org