5/27/2021
Lama Chang, Manager of Operations
Lama is of Hawaiian, Samoan, Irish, Chinese, and German descent. She came to work with Family Promise by what she refers to as a “happy accident.” Having worked in organizations that used traditional Hawaiian cultural tools to improve the lives of the community, she knew she wanted to continue doing work that helped improve the lives of others. Knowing that Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders are overrepresented in homelessness, Lama is in part fueled by the disheartening thought of Native Hawaiians “not having a home in their homeland.” She uses her work at Family Promise to reflect Native Hawaiian values of compassion and resilience and hopes that “as a community we’ll continue to do what we do to service the people.” When asked how she feels the housing sector could be made more equitable, she states that a cooperative approach of everyday people advocating for change as well as a change in policy would make a meaningful difference. She hopes that everyone who lives in and visits Hawaii will do so in a way that lives out the principles of Aloha ʻĀina, love of the land.