Catholic Charities Hawai‘i Celebrates 75 Years of Helping People in Need
The social service agency serves kūpuna who live at home, immigrants, troubled youth and homeless people of all faiths and cultures.
Nonprofit
Aloha Harvest Distributes Good Food to the Needy Before It Gets Tossed
The nonprofit distributes millions of pounds of excess food from restaurants, stores and farms to food pantries and homeless shelters.
Help Us Find Nonprofits That Have Helped Hawai‘i
We hope to speak with local nonprofits that deserve more recognition for their work. These stories will be part of our “Nonprofit with a Mission” series.
2020 CEO of the Year Micah Kāne
Kāne ensures the foundation focuses on both the long-term quality of life statewide and the immediate needs of people who might otherwise be forgotten.
Smart Alternative to Court
Are you in a Dispute with a relative, neighbor, landlord or co-worker? The Mediation Center of the Pacific can help you peacefully resolve those disputes and many others - usually faster and at less cost than arbitration or the courts.…
One Size Does Not Fit All
It doesn’t look like a homeless shelter – and that’s the point. Cheery paint and graphic shapes tie together the 22 bed areas, creating a hip, treehouse feel. Bathrooms are private and gender neutral, a recognition of the fact that 40…
Dual Mission
You and I are part of Abilities Unlimited’s mission to empower individuals with disabilities. “We could have a really, really ready client, but, if the rest of the community – specifically employers – don’t buy into what we’re doing, then…
Nonprofit Corner: “I Was Hungry and You Gave Me Food”
Charlie Lorenz knows what it’s like to be homeless and hungry. As a teenager, he lived on the streets of Honolulu due to a family dispute. “With that experience, Charlie does know the hunger and lack of hope you experience…
20 for the Next 20 Community Project: More Than a Celebration
“THIS IS AN AWESOME NIGHT,” Kawika Riley, chief advocate at the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, said last March as he and 19 others were introduced as Hawaii Business’ 20 for the Next 20, class of 2015. Proud family and friends…
Nonprofit Corner: Connecting People to Forests
Native plant restoration is an ongoing process at the Kaupulehu Dryland Forest in North Kona – one of more than a dozen projects by the nonprofit Hawaii Forest Institute. “Not all (Hawaii) forests are native forests,” notes Rob Pacheco, who…
Cause Marketing
I’m hearing a lot of buzz about cause marketing. How do I get my small business started on it? Cause marketing aligns a brand with a cause in the community, such as sustainability, helping children or homelessness. When executed strategically,…
Parting Shot: Life Savers
Monday, 3:11 pm Blood Bank of Hawaii Dillingham Boulevard Photo By Odeelo Dayondon Noelle Andrews and Cody Stoll place red blood cells, which have undergone 13 tests, into inventory at the Blood Bank of Hawaii. The Blood Bank is the sole…
Nonprofit Corner: Giving Life to Hawaiians
The kupuna who founded Hoola Lahui in 1986 gave the Kauai nonprofit its name, which means “to give life or health to the nation of Hawaii.” “They picked the name because they thought it would reflect what was needed, which…
Good Neighbors with Jennifer Kem: Lifting Up the Leeward Side
Jennifer Kem has a soft spot for folks on the Leeward side. The 41-year-old global marketing strategist and owner of KemComm Media Group grew up in Waialua on the North Shore, graduated from Mid-Pacific Institute and then went to college…
Good Neighbors with Aaron Okubo: Recycle Yourself
Aaron Okubo says organizations like Legacy of Life Hawaii saved his life. “Indirectly, I feel I’ve benefited from their efforts to encourage others to donate their organs and tissues for transplant,” reflects the 61-year-old senior program development manager at MC&A…
Parting Shot: The Fabric of Giving
Tuesday, 10:52 AM The Salvation Army 322 Sumner St., Iwilei Mabel Kihamahana cuts and sews fabric to refurbish donated furniture at The Salvation Army in Honolulu. Each cushion takes her about 20 minutes to reupholster. Kihamahana’s 40th anniversary with…
Talk Story with John Chamness
The nonprofit spends about $37 million a year to help Hawaii’s poorest people. Many of its services solve immediate needs, like hunger, but the Salvation Army is setting its sight on a new long-term initiative to stem poverty at its…
Good Neighbors with Kevin Lockette: Support for Parkinson’s Patients
As a physical therapist and the co-owner of Ohana Pacific Rehabilitation Services in Kailua, Kevin Lockette has always been interested in people’s movement issues. He started one of the first fitness…
Staying Power
Hawaii’s oldest continuously operated companies and nonprofits include many familiar names and a few lesser-known ones. Here are 11 enduring ranches, churches, schools and other organizations, each with a history that stretches back at least 165 years. Mokuaikaua Church Mokuaikaua…
Ranking Hawaii's Charities
Charity Navigator has been using the same method to rate the nation’s nonprofits since 2002. In this issue, Hawaii Business looks at the 27 local charities on the list. But it’s worth remembering that any such rating system, though valuable,…
Follow the Money
Dozens of local charities work with homeless people. All have boards of directors and staff. Most have an office and equipment, like a bus or kitchen, to maintain. And almost all face the same need to raise funds and provide…
Parting Shot: Working Above Those Who Rest
Monday, 6:08 PM Oahu Cemetery, Nuuanu photo by Aaron K. Yoshino Danny Villarin is one of seven caretakers who maintain the grounds and buildings at Oahu Cemetery. There are no more interments at the…
Good Neighbors with Christine Hanakawa: Empowering Youth Through 4-H
CHRISTINE HANAKAWA ENJOYS working with families and young people as a program coordinator for Parents and Children Together, but she also brings her caring spirit as a volunteer co-leader for two 4-H clubs: “Green Whales” and “Friendship Magic.” The youth…