Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 37, Number 9, 1 September 2020 — HCF Selects Nonprofits to Receive OHA-Funded Grants to Support Food Security [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

HCF Selects Nonprofits to Receive OHA-Funded Grants to Support Food Security

By 0ffice of Hawaiian Affairs Staff Hawai'i Community Foundation (HCF) has selected 30+ nonprofits to receive a total of $721,739 in grants, funded by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, to support community-based food security efforts in Native Hawaiian eommunities statewide. The grants support HCF Strong Funds for eaeh county, including Kaua'i Strong, O'ahu Strong, Maui County Strong, and Hawai'i Island Strong, whieh were created by HCF to build community resilience by providing resources for disaster preparedness, response and recovery. Nonprofits were chosen based on their ability to address COVID-related food needs while integrating aloha 'āina, sustainability and loeal agriculture into their programs. The food security grants funding comes from a portion of the $3-million Emergency Relief Package passed by the OHA Board of Trustees in May 2020. "In this time of immense need, we are grateful that the Office of Hawaiian Affairs has made it possible for eom-munity-based organizations across our state to increase food security efforts and also perpetuate Native Hawaiian prac-

tices that will ensure our state's resiliency for the future," said Mieah Kāne, Chief Executive Officer and President of HCF. The grants will fund programs and projects that perpetuate cultural and sustainable farming practices, provide safe places for families to farm and fish, expand production of traditional Hawaiian food and medicine crops for donation and sale, and distribute food or agricultural products to some of the state's most vulnerable populations. See the sidebar for full list of grant awardees. "The pandemic has highlighted the need for sustainability and the importance of locally-produced food," said OHA CEO Dr. Sylvia Hussey. "These grants will provide crueial support to community-based nonprofits, farmers and producers across the state. In turn, Native Hawaiian eommunities will be able to access fresh, loeal food to keep their 'ohana nourished in the near term, and resources that will allow them to perpetuate 'āina-based sustainable practices and Native Hawaiian traditions in the long term." OHA partnered with HCF to ensure that its food security grants could be awarded and released into the community quickly during this time of incredible need.B

īop, L-R: MA'O Farms, Kōko'o 'Ōiwi. Bottom, L-R: Hui Maka'ōinana 0 Makana, Kōkua Kalihi Valley - Photos: Hawai'i Community Foundations