ADVANCE RELEASE: EMBARGOED UNTIL 10:00 AM, FRIDAY, AUGUST 16, 2019 Contacts: Cat Howland Hawai‘i Community Foundation 808-260-5001 chowland@hcf-hawaii.org
Legislators, Nonprofits and Business Leaders Bring More Services to Homeless on Windward Side of ‘Oahu Honolulu, HI – The new Kāne‘ohe Joint Outreach Center (JOC) medical clinic was blessed today in an opening ceremony to prepare the site for an official open house on Saturday, August 17th. The open house will allow members of the community to learn about how the clinic will respond to healthcare needs of the homeless, provide case management, and link patients to drug abuse and mental health treatment. The Windward side of O‘ahu has the second highest number of unsheltered individuals that are part of a family on the island, according to Institute for Human Services. To respond to this need, a new public-private partnership was launched to bring more services--and hope--to the community. This partnership has been led by state legislators, Senator Jarrett Keohokalole, Representative Lisa Kitagawa, Representative Scot Matayoshi to expand the Hawai‘i Homeless Healthcare Hui (H4) to Kāne‘ohe. The growth of H4 will potentially save hospitals millions of dollars--usually incurred when caring for the chronically homeless. Many private sector partners have committed their support and funding through the Hawai‘i Executive Conference (HEC) Health and Wellness Committee. This three-year pilot program aims to be a one-stop center that will ultimately get people, who are in need of stable housing, back on their feet. Kāne‘ohe JOC is modeled after the successful Chinatown JOC and both centers are operated by H4, a homeless services provider for O‘ahu’s chronically homeless population. The partnership is a result of leaders from the Hawai‘i Executive Conference adopting Hawai‘i Community Foundation’s CHANGE Framework, committing to collaborate to help address some of Hawai‘i’s most pressing issues. “Each person or family that is struggling to access stable housing needs a tailored solution to help them overcome their specific obstacles,” said Senator Jarrett Keohokalole. Hospital emergency staff are great at addressing immediate health concerns, but they aren’t set up to offer ongoing care and support—even though the need is great. Kāne‘ohe JOC is going to be able to care for immediate patient needs and provide referrals to services that will improve the patient’s situation overall like continuing treatment or case management for those who need it.”
“Hawai‘i’s most difficult problems require all of us to reach across sectors and work together,” said Bob Harrison, co-chair of HEC’s CHANGE Health & Wellness Committee. “HCF’s CHANGE Framework is providing HEC committees the opportunity to look beyond our respective leadership roles and create the CHANGE we would all like to see in our communities. We’re coming together so that our people and place have the opportunity to thrive for generations to come.”
Kāne‘ohe JOC- State, City & County of Honolulu, and Community Partners State Legislature: ● Senator Jarrett Keohokalole ● Representative Lisa Kitagawa, ● Representative Scot Matayoshi State Department of Human Services State Department of Accounting & General Services State Department of the Attorney General City and County of Honolulu Councilmember Ikaika Anderson
Alexander & Baldwin Hawaii Regional Council of Carpenters International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 50 Hawaiian Telcom Hawaii Homeless Healthcare Hui (H4) Harold K.L. Castle Foundation First Hawaiian Bank Foundation Hawai‘i Community Foundation (HCF) Hawaii Medical Service Association Kamehameha Schools Institute for Human Services (IHS) Islands Hospice
5 Minute Pharmacy
How to Help • Monetary donations can be made at IHSHawaii.org/donate (add Kāne‘ohe JOC in comments)
Representative Scot Matayoshi repmatayoshi@capitol.hawaii.gov 808.586.8470
Donate items by contacting: Senator Jarrett Keohokalole senkeohokalole@capitol.hawaii.gov 808.587.7215
• VOLUNTEER – H4Hawaii.org
Representative Lisa Kitagawa repkitagawa@capitol.hawaii.gov 808.586.8540
• SPREAD THE WORD – Encourage your neighbors and friends to support the Kāne‘ohe JOC • REFER – Recommend those affected by homelessness to the center
About Hawai‘i Homeless Healthcare Hui (H4) H4 is a comprehensive homeless service facility serving Oahu’s chronically homeless population. The organization was founded by two dedicated physicians with extensive experience in responding to the healthcare needs of the homeless. For more information please visit h4Hawaii.org About Institute for Human Services (IHS) IHS the oldest, largest, and most comprehensive human services agency focused exclusively on ending and preventing homelessness in Hawaii. For more information please visit ihshawaii.org About The Hawai‘i Executive Conference The Hawai‘i Executive Conference is a forum for CEOs, thought leaders and decision makers from Hawaiʻi, Asia and the Mainland U.S. Following the conference in 2018, leaders adopted Hawai‘i Community Foundation’s CHANGE Framework, forming the Hawai‘i CHANGE Initiatives to make a commitment to collaborate within and across CHANGE sectors to help solve Hawaii’s greatest challenges. About Hawai‘i Community Foundation’s CHANGE Framework The CHANGE Framework aims to create a movement towards building a Hawai’i where every person has the opportunity to thrive. CHANGE is a platform that provides a common set of data that helps to identify gaps and opportunities so that people can create partnerships around shared goals and better align their efforts and collective action. ###