COVID19 has financially impacted many Hawai’i families and it continues to do so. Knowing this challenge our community faces, Manaola, Honua Consulting, and American Savings bank have decided to come together to donate relief funds to families in need. The funding goes towards groceries, household goods, and prescription medicine. The funds will be distributed through the Kahiau and Ho’ala programs put forth by the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement (CNHA).
Manaola says he has been blessed over the years to have the unwavering support of his community and he is taking this opportunity to return that support. Honua Consulting owner, Trisha Kehaulani Watson, knows what it is like to have a loved one suffer from a chronic disease and rely on prescription medicine. She doesn’t want our community to have to choose between groceries or medicine when they need both to survive. When American Savings Bank heard of the effort, they joined in and matched the donations of other companies. This donation allowed for many more families to be helped during this difficult time.
Kuhio Lewis, CEO of CNHA, says that the Ho’ala and Kahiau program do not necessarily cover these expenses, so this support will fill in those gaps. These funds will go to current or new applicants who need the additional assistance. This funding will go a long way to help families in Hawai’i.
ABOUT HOʻĀLA
The Hoʻāla Assistance Program (HAP) is to provide emergency financial assistance to Hawaiʻi residents facing hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. HAP is made possible through funding from the Hawaii Resilience Fund (Hawaiʻi Community Foundation and Pierre & Pam Omidyar) and the City and County of Honolulu. Assistance is awarded 1 per household and all payments are paid directly to the vendors.
ABOUT KAHIAU
The Kahiau Community Assistance Program (KCAP) is to provide one-time emergency financial assistance (up to $1500) to Native Hawaiian beneficiaries facing hardship due to an unexpected crisis. KCAP is made possible through a grant from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and aims to provide stability for Native Hawaiians during emergency situations.
To learn more about the emergency assistance programs and services available from CNHA, visit hawaiiancouncil.org/help
