Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 14, Number 8, 1 ʻAukake 1997 — Financial assistance for Hawaiians [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Financial assistance for Hawaiians

Hawai'i's cost of living is among the highest in Amenea. It is no wonder that there are many families who will never own a home or that there are many who have to work two jobs just to survive. And there are others who have no ineome except for public assistance. According to the 1990 census, there are an estimated 205,000 Hawaiians in Hawai'i, about 19 percent of the state population. Nearly 10 percent of the Hawaiian population receives some form of public assistance. Native Hawaiians continue to be the largest racial group with families and individuals with incomes less than $15,000 a year. The Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) advocates the Iong-term social and eeonomie well-being of native Hawaiians. On a day-to-day basis, OHA's manv programs work in concert with federal, state and private institutions as well as other Hawaiian agencies to provide assistance to those Hawaiians with the greatest needs. Financial assistance is difficult to eome by. However, should you or any of your family need help with seeking options and alternatives to cash assistance, such as no-cost or low-cost services, consider contacting the following service providers: ALU LIKE, ine. - Advocacy, technical services, information, referrals and follow-up services. O'ahu 535-6720 Hawai'i 961-2625 Kaua'i 245-8545 Maui 242-9774 Moloka'i 553-5393 Legal Aid Society - Assists disabled Hawaiians with applications for Supplemental Security ineome (SSI) or Social Security Disabihty ineome. Hawai'i 961-2851 (Hilo), 329-8331 (Kailua-Kona) Kaua'i 245-4728 Lāna'i 565-6089 Maui 244-3731 Moloka'i 553-3251 O'ahu 536-4302 (Central O'ahu), 239-6651 (Windward), 696-6321 (Leeward) Native Hawaiian Health Care Systems (NHHCS) - Health care services differ on eaeh island. Ke Ola Mamo 533-0035 (O'ahu) Hui Mālama Ola Nā 'Oiwi 969-9220 (Hawai'i) Ho'ola Lāhui 246-3511 (Kaua'i) Hui No Ke Ola Pono 244-4647 (Maui) Nā Pu'uwai 553-3653 (Moloka'i)

Kumu John Lake's halau, Na Hanona o ka Hōlau o Pō Ola Kapu, chant at last year's Pu'ukōholō Cultural Festival.