October 23, 2020
Through funding from the City and County of Honolulu Coronavirus Relief Fund administered by the Hawai‘i Community Foundation, Family Promise of Hawai‘i is providing a safety net for homeless and low-income families on O‘ahu. FPH was awarded $1 million dollars to support vulnerable families with shelter, rental assistance, and access to basic necessities such as food, toiletries, masks, and hand sanitizer.
Due to the COVID-19 crisis, many families are facing housing instability and homelessness. As a response to the growing need for food, shelter, and housing support FPH developed a variety of programs to support families in need:
Rent Relief – Rental and mortgage assistance to keep families in their existing housing.
Re-Housing - Payment for security deposits, short-term rental assistance, and housing search support for households who are currently homeless or are living in overcrowded housing environments.
Emergency Shelter - FPH currently has two temporary emergency shelter facilities open (Honolulu & North Shore). Each site has individual units where families are able to self-isolate from others. The Honolulu location can support up to 24 families and the North Shore location can support 6 families.
Drop-In Day Center - Access to the internet, showers, and laundry facilities as well as food and hygiene products for families.
Service Fairs - Through December 2020, we will be hosting bi-monthly drive-thru service fairs. Fairs include access to food, fresh produce, diapers, hygiene products, & community resources.
Through the help of community donations, private Foundation grants, and Coronavirus Relief Funds, FPH has been able to support 239% more households in 2020!
Learn more about our COVID-19 Resources.
Volunteer Opportunities
Although this pandemic has changed the ways we interact in person, it has not changed the desire to be of service to the community. So, we are very excited to let you all know of new volunteer opportunities! Through December 2020, we will be hosting monthly drive-thru service fairs to provide resources to families whose income has been negatively impacted by COVID-19. Additionally, we are providing dinner to families in our Emergency Shelter through our Contactless 'Ohana Meal Program, if you would like to provide a meal explore the link below. Lastly, this holiday season will be difficult to say the least. Help bring struggling families joy by providing candy for Halloween and hosting a donation drive for the Christmas holiday. If you have any questions, email Volunteer@familypromisehawaii.org. We look forward to serving with you all!
Drive-thru Service Fairs- Items that will be given out during the fairs need to be packed into boxes the day before. We are looking for volunteers to help with this as well as be present on the day of the fair to load them into cars when the attendees arrive. Click here to learn more & sign up!
Contactless 'Ohana Meal Program- We are looking for volunteers to prepare and package dinner to be delivered to families in our Emergency Shelter program. Click here to learn more & sign up!
Halloween Donation- Donate candy or goody bags for the children in our programs this Halloween. If you are interested email Volunteer@familypromisehawaii.org
Christmas Donation Drive- Host a donation drive for (unopened) toys and gift cards to spread some much needed aloha this holiday season. If you are interested email Volunteer@familypromisehawaii.org
"The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members."-Coretta Scott King
From your ʻOhana to ours
our virtual fundraiser raised over $48,000!
Over 180 households participated in the From Your ‘Ohana to Ours Virtual Fundraiser raising over $48,000 to ensure families have access to food, shelter, and emergency care during the COVID-19 pandemic. The virtual event took place on August 30th and included a a family-style meal alongside a livestream program. Check out this KITV article about the event!
Mahalo to everyone who participated, a shout-out to Tucker and Bevvy for the delicious food, thanks to our emcees Kaipo Leopoldino & Mara Leigh, mahalo to Kupaoa for their amazing performance, and a special recognition for our event committee members: Cecily Ho Sargent, Ryan Catalani, Jennifer Diesman, Michelle Bartell, Lama Chang, and Sam Church!
It's not too late to get involved. Watch a recording of the program at any time by clicking here!
Meet the Team
An Interview with Jason, Central Oahu Site Manager
The FPH team (staff, volunteers, and board members) is diverse. We value this diversity as one of the strongest factors in our collective success. Drawing upon our range of cultural backgrounds, skills, educational levels, beliefs, and experiences fosters empathy, creativity, and community. In our upcoming newsletters we will be featuring a variety of team members at FPH so you can get to know them a little better.
This month, we get to know Jason.
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I’m third generation born and raised on Oahu. I am a graduate of Pearl City High School, class of 1993. I enlisted into the US military at age 17. I’ve lived and worked throughout the US continent as a chef for approximately 15 years. I returned home in 2008. I made the decision to go to college at the age of 40 and began at Leeward Community College. After receiving my Associates in Arts degree in 2017, I enrolled into the social work program at the MBT School of Social Work at the University of Hawaii and earned my degree in 2019.
What brought you to Family Promise?
After graduating from UH, I decided that I wanted to dive into the workforce to get some experience before returning to UH for grad school. I was offered a position at another agency, the same organization that I completed my internship at but I didn’t necessarily think it was the right fit for me. I took the next few months off for a long needed break. I applied for a position at Family Promise of Hawaii in August 2019. I felt that I could be of value to FPH and the population they serve. Luckily, I was hired and now FPH is stuck with me.
Do you have any hidden talents or hobbies?
Hidden? Not really. I like gardening and working on my house.
What’s something you’re proud of?
I just built a pretty nice chicken coop. I’m proud of that. I really feel proud doing the work that FPH is doing. Considering the current climate of our economy and COVID-19, I think that we are making a positive impact within our community. I am proud of that!
What’s something you find challenging about your work at Family Promise?
The challenging aspects of my work at FPH are the differences between the populations that we serve. Although the main issues may be similar, each family has different values, ethics, and cultural practices. I would say the most challenging aspect of my work is communicating through a language barrier.
When you are not working, what's your favorite way to relax?
My passion is freediving. This is how I practice selfcare. I release stress while living in those moments of being completely attuned with my surroundings. I take only what I need to feed my friends and family.
