#Marc benioff

In his third State of the State address, Gov. Josh Green took aim this morning at Hawaiʻi’s high cost of living, affordable housing, accessible health care and Maui’s ongoing recovery from the August 2023 wildfires.

Gov. Josh Green, M.D., today announced the Lahaina HERO Awards, a new initiative aimed at recognizing the extraordinary resilience and dedication of Department of Education (DOE) employees who have played a critical role in keeping Lahaina schools open following the devastating wildfires on Maui last year. HERO stands for Honoring Employees’ Resilience and Optimism in serving Lahaina students in spite of the challenges presented by the wildfires.

Nonprofit organization West Maui Improvement Foundation (WMIF) today announced the receipt of another $1,250,000 in funding to purchase a modular fire station for Olowalu. The Benioff Family Foundation donated $1 million and the Arrillaga Family Foundation, as directed by Justine Stamen & John Arrillaga, $250,000.

In one of the largest philanthropic donations of its kind in Hawaiʻi, 282 acres was donated in Waimea on Hawaiʻi Island for affordable housing.

The Benioffs are one of the Department’s largest independent funders, having made in total more than $2.5 million in donations through DonorsChoose, benefiting 265 Hawai‘i public schools. So far, the Benioffs’ donations have supported 3,000 teachers and fulfilled 4,800 teacher requests.