Ke Ao Hāliʻi gets $100K grant for stewardship of East Maui lands, among list of OHA awards

Ten community nonprofits will receive a total of $754,840 in grant awards from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to help support their efforts in strengthening the Native Hawaiian community. 

Leading the way are a pair of $100,000 ʻĀina Community Grant awards going to Ke Ao Hāliʻi on Maui and ʻĀina Hoʻokupu o Kīlauea on Kauaʻi. Ke Ao Hāliʻiʻs project is intended to activate community stewardship to bolster the health of lands at Mokae and Makaʻalae in East Maui, while the Kauaʻi group’s goal is to provide locally grown fresh produce boxes for 300 Native Hawaiians in 10 island communites with the produce coming from four different farming operations.  

OHA’s Grants Program supports Hawaiʻi-based nonprofit organizations that have projects, programs and initiatives that serve the lāhui in alignment with OHA’s Mana i Mauli Ola Strategic Plan.  

“OHA cannot accomplish its mission of raising a beloved lāhui alone, and it is our belief that the best way to stretch our dollars is by supporting the outstanding work that these community nonprofits are already undertaking in serving the Native Hawaiian community,” said OHA Board Chair Carmen “Hulu” Lindsey. “Together, in a spirit of lōkahi, we can accomplish so much more.” 

OHA trustees also approved three ʻOhana Community Grant awards yesterday including $100,000 to Papahana Kuaola on Oʻahu, $85,000 to Ke Kula o Piʻilani and $80,00 to Hāna Arts, both located on Maui. A Moʻomeheu Community Grant award of $99,840 went to Hui Mālama O Ke Kai Foundation on Oʻahu. 

Two $50,000 Iwi Kūpuna Repatriation & Reinternment Grants were awarded to The Hawaiian Church of Hawaiʻi Nei and Huliauapaʻa to assist with mālama iwi kūpuna initiatives statewide. Additionally, the homestead community on Hawaiʻi Island was supported with a $50,000 Homestead Grant to the Keaukaha Panaʻewa Community Alliance and a $40,000 award to the Homestead Community Development Corporation, which is located in Anahola but governed by associations statewide. 

The 10 newly approved grants wrap up OHA’s grant awards for the year. A new cycle of OHA grant solicitations will be posted to the OHA Grants Program website,www.oha.org/grants, in January 2023.