Creating
CHANGE For All… And for always
Honoring The Past, By Helping the Present For Kaua‘i Mayor Derek Kawakami, caring for the community runs deep in his family. “Right now, each one of us can make decisions that help, and we can move toward a brighter future together,” says Alice Kawakami, Mayor Kawakami’s cousin.
“Many families are in that same situation right now,” she says. “We’re so glad to be in a position where we can do something that honors our grandparents and helps Kaua‘i.”
Alice remembers a story from her grandmother, Hisa. She shared the pain of losing her aunt and brother-in-law during the 1918 influenza pandemic. With that memory and the family’s love for the Kaua‘i community, Alice called her Kawakami cousins when the coronavirus started to appear in Hawai‘i. In lockstep, they agreed to support the response effort as a family. Together, the NF Kawakami, HS Kawakami and M. Furugen Fund & Hisa and Fukutaro Kawakami Fund have made
Did You Know:
contributions to the Hawai‘i Resilience Fund at the Hawai‘i Community Foundation (HCF) to support the community during the outbreak. “HCF understands the needs of Kaua‘i,” Alice states. In the face of this pandemic, grants have been deployed to
increase food supplies through the Hawai‘i Food Bank on Kaua‘i and expand coronavirus testing. Alice notes while many of us can work from home to keep safe, Hisa’s parents in 1918 had no choice but to risk infection in order to support the family.
HCF leaders are collaborating closely with state and county leaders, nonprofit organizations, businesses and philanthropists to understand the rapidly evolving priorities on each island. The Hawai‘i Resilience Fund of the Hawai‘i Community Foundation is designed to support those priorities.
To support our communities during the COVID-19 Pandemic, visit HawaiiCommunityFoundation.org/coronavirus