Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 9, Number 10, 1 ʻOkakopa 1992 — OHA earmarks $250,000 toward hurricane relief [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

OHA earmarks $250,000 toward hurricane relief

by Pearl Leialoha Page In an emergency meeting of the OHA board of Trustees Sept 18 the board unammously approved to set aside $250,000 in special funds to assist native Hawaiians affected by Hurricane Iniki. The Office of Hawaiian Affairs is seeking matching funds from other agencies including the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, Bishop Estate and the Housing, Finance and Development Corp. If matching funds are secured, monies ean

be made available to Hawaiians regardless of blood quantum. By law. OHA's special funds or 5(f) momes, are restricted to those with 50 percent or greater Hawaiian blood. The goal is to make the fund worth at least half a million dollars and available to all Hawaiians affected, said Trustee Abraham Aiona, who presided in Chairman Clayton Hee's plaee. The funds would be available as grants-in-aid to individuals and as

low-interest loans to Hawaiianowned btJsinesses through the Native Hawaiian Revolving Loan Fund.

A few days before the meeting, OHA announced the formation of a task force to coordinate efforts to assist Hawaiians affected by the hunieane. Heading the task force is OHA Trustee A. Frenchy DeSoto, herself a homesteader in Wai'anae. "We want to make a lasting and beneficial contribution to the eommunity as a whole by providing for

our Hawaiian constituents, and thus freeing resources for the general population." DeSoto said. The humeane that npped through Kaua'i and the Wai'anae coast of O'ahu Sept. 11 packed winds of up to 150 miles per hour, taking out power and all communications on the Garden Island. It is estimated that up to 90 percent of the island's 25,000 houses and apartments was damaged or leveled with damages over a billion dollars. On O'ahu continued on page 5

OHA is helping Abby and Frank Santos, owners of No Ka Oi Plants on hurricane ravaged Kaua'i, to assess damages and plan recovery. Photo by Ken Sato

Hurricane relief from page 1

damage estimates have risen as high as $3.5 million. Though the hurricane was the most devastating storm in the state's history, it was no match for the power of the aloha spirit. Throughout the state, fund drives launched into action. Stories of helping hands dotted the daily papers. Looting was almost nonexistent and patient lines of people at aide dispersal stations and store on the island quelled any signs of panie. A team from OHA's Native Hawaiian Revolving Loan Fund visited Kaua'i soon after the hurrieane hit to help businesses assess damages and plan strategies to aid recovery.

At press time details of how the OHA $250,000 in aid, grants and loans will be dispersed to needy beneficiaries were not available. Announcements will be forthcoming in the daily newspapers, radio spots and televised reports.