Nareit Hawaiʻi awards $120K in grants to five community and hunger relief nonprofits

Nareit Hawaiʻi has awarded $120,000 in grants to five nonprofit organizations across the state to support community programs and food assistance efforts on Oʻahu, Maui, Hawaiʻi Island and Kauaʻi, according to an announcement Tuesday.

“We selected these nonprofits for grants knowing how vital they are to their communities and the challenges they are facing in the current economic environment to help residents who depend on their services to improve their lives and meet their basic daily needs,” said Gladys Quinto Marrone, Nareit Hawaiʻi executive director.

The five nonprofit organizations receiving grants from Nareit Hawaiʻi are as follows:

Palama Settlement: $35,000
The $35,000 grant will be utilized by Palama Settlement to support children, youths, adults and senior citizens through a variety of educational, recreational, cultural, social and health programs. Palama Settlement annually serves more than 900 children, 1,000 families and 400 senior citizens, with most of them living in the low-income housing projects and neighborhoods of Kalihi.

Maui Food Bank: $25,000
The $25,000 grant from Nareit Hawaiʻi will support Maui Food Bank’s efforts to provide emergency food assistance to residents seeking hunger relief through a network of local nonprofits, churches and direct-service programs. To further enhance the grant’s impact, Nareit Hawaiʻi is partnering with Maui Food Bank to designate the grant as a matching challenge fund for the nonprofit’s Holiday Giving Campaign, which will inspire donors to make contributions and double the total funding to $50,000. Maui Food Bank is the county’s only nonprofit that collects, warehouses and distributes mass quantities of perishable and nonperishable food items to residents in need.

The Food Basket: $25,000
Nareit Hawaiʻi’s $25,000 grant to The Food Basket will help fulfill the food security needs of Hawaiʻi Island residents coping with rising prices, especially for those living on fixed incomes and in need of assistance from community sources. The Food Basket is the food bank for Hawaiʻi Island and provides meals to an average of 60,000 residents per month.

The Kauaʻi Independent Food Bank: $25,000
The $25,000 grant from Nareit Hawaiʻi will support The Kauaʻi Independent Food Bank’s six person operation that feeds residents of all ages, including the delivery of easy-to-prepare, low sodium and high protein meals to the elderly and providing children with healthy snacks at school and food on weekends through its Backpack Program.

Impact Change Hawaiʻi: $10,000
Nareit Hawaiʻi $10,000 grant will support Impact Change Hawaiʻi’s targeted early learning program to improve literacy and educational development through its Building Blocks Hawaiʻi program that specializes in creating evidence-based curriculum solutions for 3- to 5-year-old children.

Nareit Hawaiʻi represents the interests of REITs in Hawaiʻi and their participation in civic, community and policy initiatives to benefit residents statewide, while also supporting community and charitable organizations that address social issues of importance. REITs are long-term property holders that own, renovate and manage affordable housing projects, commercial buildings, medical facilities, shopping centers, cell phone towers, public storage facilities and hotels in Hawaiʻi. 

For more information about Nareit Hawaiʻi and REITs in Hawaiʻi, visit nareithawaii.com.