Kanu Hawaiʻi leads Volunteer Week Hawaiʻi 2022 with nearly 30 Maui events

Volunteer Week Hawaiʻi 2022 aims for unprecedented unity of kamaʻāina and visitors alike as Hawaii emerges from the pandemic. More than 10,000 volunteers are anticipated to gather in support of hundreds of charities at more than 300 events held statewide.  

On Maui, there are nearly 30 events scheduled that include a spectrum of activities across the county: native plant restoration at Keālia Pond National Wildlife Refuge; Honolua Bay cleanup; Nā Hoaloha needs volunteers for lawn care for seniors; and more.

For online volunteering, Mālama Maui Nui is seeking volunteers who will help promote its April 22 Art of Trash exhibition and Trashion Show that will be held online on Earth Day with community voting. More at MalamaMauiNui.org/ArtOfTrash 

The island of Lānaʻi will host a native tree planting led by 5^th grade students at a Pūlama conservation site and will also be conducting a Mānele Bay clean up. 

Maui groups and organizations can register an event at VolunteerWeekHawaii.org or participate in an existing one. Businesses are needed to encourage employee participation, donate in-kind and financially. Opportunities during the Week range from park and beach cleanups to food drives to lo‘i and loko i‘a restoration.  

Hawaii has held the largest annual celebrations of National Volunteer Week since it joined the national movement in 2018. National Volunteer Week was instituted under President Richard Nixon in 1974. Called Volunteer Week Hawaii, service events are planned to support a broad spectrum of community needs including Friday, April 22 which is Earth Day.  

“Volunteer Week Hawaii is all of our kuleana (responsibility),” says Governor of Hawaii David Ige. “It will offer one of the wisest investments we can make in our community, our people and our local values. We hope that all of Hawaii will get involved. Together, we can inspire youth with our actions to share community responsibility.” 

Volunteer Week Hawaii will be celebrated from April 17 to 23 and features hundreds of in-person and virtual volunteer opportunities statewide including a pledge drive and E Ala Ē, a worldwide oli (Hawaiian chant) on Earth Day. 

Earth Day E Ala Ē.  Thousands will join hands around the world and raise awareness of environmental stewardship with a sunrise oli, or sacred chant, at 6:06 am emanating from Maui’s Haleakalā in which worldwide participants can attend. To participate from your location and learn more, contact [email protected] or visit KanuHawaii.org/e-ala-e-2022/ 

Pledge to Our Keiki. Supporters are asked to sign the online “Pledge to Our Keiki” as their first act of service during Volunteer Week Hawaiʻi. In an unprecedented partnership, the Hawaii State Department of Education and Kanu Hawaiʻi have teamed together to collect 10,000 pledge signatures from public school students and their families by Earth Day 2022 towards their 50,000-signature goal by 2023. Pledge takers vow greater responsibility in environmental stewardship through personal actions.

To sign the online pledge, the public can go here: PledgeToOurKeiki.org  Groups, businesses and individuals are needed to mobilize signature drives for the online pledge as part of Volunteer Week Hawaiʻi. The Pledge was created by a collaboration of students from across Hawaiʻi.