Nareit Hawaii announced the awarding of $120,000 in grants to five community nonprofits to support educational and social well-being programs provided by two Oahu-based organizations, and three food banks helping residents and families cope with hunger on the islands of Maui, Hawaii Island, and Kauai.
Nareit Hawaii Executive Director Gladys Quinto Marrone noted, “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.”
The five nonprofit organizations receiving grants from Nareit Hawaii are as follows:
Palama Settlement: $35,000
Nareit Hawaii’s $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.
Nareit Hawaii Executive Director Gladys Quinto Marrone presented the grant award today to Palama Settlement Executive Director Sam Aiona, joined by the employees of Palama Settlement. Holding the check are (l-r) Honolulu City Councilmember Tyler Dos Santos-Tam (District 6), Palama Settlement Executive Director Sam Aiona, Nareit Hawaii Executive Director Gladys Quinto Marrone, and State Representative Daniel Holt (House District 28). Credit: Nareit Hawaii
Maui Food Bank: $25,000
The $25,000 grant from Nareit Hawaii 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 Hawaii 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 Hawaii’s $25,000 grant to The Food Basket will help fulfill the food security needs of Hawaii 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 Hawaii Island and provides meals to an average of 60,000 residents per month.
The Kauai Independent Food Bank: $25,000
The $25,000 grant from Nareit Hawaii will support The Kauai 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 Hawaii: $10,000
Nareit Hawaii’s $10,000 grant will support Impact Change Hawaii’s targeted early learning program to improve literacy and educational development through its Building Blocks Hawaii program that specializes in creating evidence-based curriculum solutions for 3- to 5-year-old children.
