April 18, 2018
Aloha HCF ‘Ohana and Friends, Here in our islands, our innate desire to care for one another is our greatest strength. And that fact becomes even clearer in a time of crisis. Right now, the devastation that’s been wrought on Kaua‘i as a result of the severe weather calls on all of us to mobilize. Through generous seed money of $100,000 from Pierre and Pam Omidyar along with matching contributions from Hawai‘i Community Foundation and additional donations from the Agne Family Fund and two anonymous donors, we have established the Kaua‘i Relief and Recovery Fund at HCF. The Fund is focused on providing immediate aid to communities across Kaua‘i that have been impacted by the flooding, including assistance to residents who have been displaced from their homes or are cut-off from receiving basic necessities including supplies, food, and water. We are in conversations with our team leader on Kaua‘i, Darcie Yukimura, as well as with Mayor Bernard Carvalho’s office to identify the critical needs and the agencies that can best support those needs at this time. Thanks to their on-the-ground knowledge, over the next 24 hours, we will distribute our first round of grants to Mālama Kaua‘i, Kaua‘i Independent Food Bank, and the Kaua‘i North Shore Food Pantry to provide additional staffing, food and water provisions, and emergency supplies. We are truly humbled by the support of our donors who were quick to recognize the importance of coming to the aid of others in our islands when they are in need of help. More help is needed in the weeks and months ahead. If you would like to make a contribution to the Kaua‘i Relief and Recovery Fund, you can do so online at HawaiiCommunityFoundation.org/KauaiRelief or by mail at Hawai‘i Community Foundation, 827 Fort Street Mall, Honolulu, HI, 96813. The Hawai‘i Community Foundation can only do its work because of the compassion and generosity of donors and partners like you. One of the main roles of the Foundation is having the ability to quickly pull resources together and deploy them to where they are most needed. This kind of timely impact can be made thanks to the ongoing support of people, like you, who care about their neighbors and about the islands we call home. Aloha,
Micah Kāne President & Chief Executive Officer