H.T. Hayashi Foundation Grants $315,000 to Community Organizations

H.T. Hayashi Foundation announced $315,000 in grant funding was awarded to five organizations supporting Hawaiʻi’s people, native wildlife, culture, and food security.

Of this amount, $196,000 was distributed this year, with the remainder being part of a multi-year award to Kupu. These recent awards bring the 2021 Foundation grant distributions to more than $331,000 going toward local community organizations making a positive difference across the state.

“We are humbled to support and partner with local organizations that are helping to improve our communities by taking care of our land, indigenous wildlife, people, and culture,” said Jan Harada, executive director of the H.T. Hayashi Foundation. “We are grateful for the opportunity to help these five organizations build capacity as they continue to work towards a healthier and happier Hawaiʻi.”

• Aloha Harvest was awarded $15,000 to support its organizational development, staff training and strategic plan implementation efforts. Aloha Harvest is the largest same-day food rescue and redistribution organization in the state. Their work strives to address food insecurity and the negative environmental impact of food waste. Their teams and volunteers redistribute quality excess food from donors free of charge to social service agencies and communities in need.

• Hawaiʻi Wildlife Center (HWC) received $40,000 of unrestricted general operating support. The HWC provides wildlife rescue, emergency response and hospital care for Hawaiʻi’s native birds and bats from all main Hawaiian Islands and the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. In addition to providing treatment for injured birds and bats, their strategies to tackle human and climate threats to these species include conducting research in partnership with other organizations and providing community education and outreach.

• Kuaʻāina Ulu ʻAuamo (KUA) was awarded $70,000 of general operating support for its work supporting Native Hawaiian culture and traditions, environmental conservation, climate change initiatives and local food production. Through their support of community-based natural resources management, KUA works with the government, organizations and communities to protect the land’s natural resources as well as restore the communities’ traditional role as caretakers of our land and waters.

• Kupu was awarded $180,000 of unrestricted general operating support distributed over the next four years, as the nonprofit continues to serve some of Hawaiʻi’s most vulnerable youth and families and works to protect and preserve natural and cultural resources and knowledge. Kupu works to guide the islands toward a more sustainable future by empowering youth through hands-on service opportunities in conservation, sustainability and environmental education. These outdoor programs seek to cultivate Hawaiʻi’s next generation of environmental and cultural stewards.

• Breastfeeding Hawaiʻi Coalition received $10,000 of capacity-building support for its strategic planning costs. The Coalition works to protect, promote and support breastfeeding. It serves as the state affiliate to the United States Breastfeeding Committee. It is part of the Hawaiʻi Maternal & Infant Health Collaborative, a mix of public and private organizations with a shared vision of improving outcomes for Hawaiʻi’s families. The Coalition has worked to make Hawaiʻi hospitals “Baby-Friendly” and improved their Maternity Practices in Infant Nutrition and Care (mPINC) CDC scores.