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Aloha <<First Name>>, As 2025 comes to a close, it's a good time to reflect on the year. While all of us in Maui County continued to cope with the aftermath of the 2023 wildfires, we also celebrated milestones in the recovery such as 100 homes rebuilt and the Lahaina harbor beginning to re-open. Hoʻoikaika Partnership supported hundreds of families with concrete resources, community events and public education, and invested in our workforce through Healing the Healers peer support sessions and the first in-person annual conference since the pandemic. Some additional highlights: Navigation Services supported 141 families (462 individuals) with concrete support and referrals while also participating in 14 community outreach events, reaching an estimated 3527 families with basic supplies, educational materials, and keiki activities. Partners distributed more than 700 copies of Kalo Boy’s Adventure to Make Pono: He Huakaʻi ‘Ohana, a children's storybook HP created to educate about protective factors and help parents talk with keiki about bonding and resilience. Maui County Department of Transportation mounted 50 “Talking is Teaching” posters on their buses to promote early literacy and protective factors thanks to a collaboration with the Maui County Commission on Children and Youth and Kākou for Keiki. The annual ʻOhana Fest included an ʻŌpio/Youth Talent Show for the first time and engaged 300+ participants and 31 agencies for a day of fun and learning about resources. Partners stepped up their advocacy efforts such as attending the Working Families Day at the Capitol in February, testifying to the Maui County Council in recognition of national Child Abuse Prevention Month in April, and participating in the Men’s March Against Violence in October. Partners also hosted a presentation by traditional midwives at their February meeting to learn more about SB1194, birthing choice, and child abuse prevention. Hoʻoikaika Partnership participated in statewide efforts such as the Hawaiʻi Children’s Trust Fund Coalition, the Nā Kama a Hāola network to reduce disproportionality of Hawaiian children in the child welfare system, the Early Childhood Action Strategy Team 2: Family Violence Prevention, HCAN's Children’s Policy Agenda, and Maui Strong's grantee convening.
All this was possible because at least 90 individuals from 58 different organizations participated in HP’s meetings, committees, and collaborative projects. Mahalo nui loa to all of you for your hard work, dedication and commitment to keeping all our ʻohana healthy, safe and supported! Wishing you and your ʻohana a fun, peaceful and restful holiday season! Please enjoy some time off and remember that self-care is essential, not selfish. Deb Marois, Hoʻoikaika Partnership Coordinator |
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HP Meeting Schedule
December 10: No HP Meeting. We cancelled this in anticipation of statewide CAP meetings. However, that meeting is now being planned for early 2026. Stay tuned.
January 14th from 10 am - 3:30 pm: In person at the J.W. Cameron Center. All Partners/Committee members are invited to meet from 10:00 am - 1:15 pm followed by a Human Trafficking Awareness training presented by PACT from 1:30-3:30 pm. Partners/Committee members will receive registration materials via email.
Interested in joining Hoʻoikaika Partnership? Visit our Partner With Us webpage. Complete the online application (10 min) and set up an orientation with HP Coordinator Deb Marois Don't delay - become a partner before December 19 so you can meet with us in person Jan 14th.
Zoom Meetings will resume February 11th. |
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Healing the Healers
As 2025 comes to a close, so will Healing the Healers. Mahalo nui loa to co-facilitators Michele Navarro Ishiki and Heidi Allencastre for offering a safe, supportive space for providers to decompress and focus on their mental health and wellness.
For the final session, Piha Wellness and Healing is sponsoring Lomi Lomi practitioners from Laukanaka. Please be advised that preference for Lomi Lomi will be given to those who have attended regularly. If time permits, then others can join. Please contact Heidi for more info.
Immense gratitude to the Maui Strong Fund for supporting this program for the last 2 years! |
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Imua Family Services announced a significant step forward in its $10 million Imua Discovery Garden Capital Campaign with a $500,000 contribution. The gift will support the development of the Imua Inclusion Preschool, part of a new nature-based early learning campus planned for the organization’s six-acre Wailuku property. Read more in Maui Now Aloha at Home has partnered with 9 HP agencies to distribute more than 300 toolkits to families on Maui Island before Christmas! Mahalo to Kanoe Enos, Shelly May, and Pualani Enos! Hawai‘i Public Health Institute will host the 2026 Community Health Conference at the ‘Alohilani Resort in Waikīkī, Oʻahu. Please save the date: June 23–25, 2026. |
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Jeeuyn Lee (Maui United Way) and Trilogy Excursions helped place nearly 100 "Kalo Boy" books in the hands of keiki and on the library shelves of Lānaʻi as part of the 33rd Annual Turkey & Rice Gifting. What started as a simple turkey distribution has grown into a beloved tradition that brings residents together and provides access to helpful island-wide resources. Read more in Maui Now |
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Kamehameha Schools E Ulu Koa Community Gatherings
Kamehameha Schools welcome you and your ʻohana to attend E Ulu Koa community gatherings on Maui. Meaʻai (food) will be provided and activities will be set up for keiki. During these meetings, leadership will provide updates on Strategic Plan 2030 and the legal challenge to the KS admissions policy. Community members will also have the opportunity to provide guidance regarding ideas for redesigning Kamehameha’s community investments and scholarships.
Please sign up for these gatherings and share your community’s priorities and share this information with your colleagues and 'ohana.
Monday, Dec. 8 from 5 to 7:00 p.m. Lahainaluna High School Dining Room 980 Lahainaluna Road, Lahaina, HI 96761 Tuesday, Dec. 9 from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Pilina Events Center, UH Maui College 310 West Kaʻahumanu Avenue, Kahului, HI 96732 |
Join Senator Schatz for a Telephone Town Hall Meeting
Senator Schatz will be giving updates from Washington, D.C. and taking questions from constituents. Hawai‘i residents, please RSVP by Monday, December 8 to be added to the call list. You will receive a call on the phone number you provide to connect you to the town hall. Thursday, December 11, 2025 at 12:00pm HT REGISTER |
News You Can Use
Weekly Wonk: The Map is Not The Territory: The complexity of the child welfare system and the challenges that families face can be overwhelming. This article takes a deep dive into Families First and the limits of policy-first reform, and why on-the-ground practice needs to lead the way.
Are You an Inclusive Leader? Learn how bottom-up change-makers, known as intrapreneurs, lead some of the most powerful shifts within their organizations.
TOOLKIT: Trauma-Informed Workplaces. Creating trauma-informed workplaces isn't a checkbox exercise...it's an ongoing journey of reflection, evaluation, and growth. Small, intentional actions compound into cultural shifts that benefit entire organizations and communities. Learn more and download the toolkit: https://www.ctipp.org/post/toolkit-trauma-informed-workplaces |
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Building Pilina through Legislative Engagement
Hosted by the Office Of Hawaiian Affairs, this session aims to enhance understanding of how laws and policies are developed and enacted in Hawaiʻi, and to strengthen Native Hawaiian representation and voice within Hawaiʻi's Legislative process. WHEN: Dec 11, 2025 at 6:00 PM |
Spark Creativity: Getting Hawaiʻi Students Ready for the Mott Million Dollar Challenge
Learn how Hawaiʻi schools and afterschool programs can participate in the Mott Million Dollar Challenge, a national pitch competition celebrating K–12 youth innovation. This session will walk through the competition overview, timelines, and ways to support students as they develop and pitch their ideas. REGISTER |
Training: Concrete Support in Times of Need |
is a coalition of organizations, individuals, county and state agencies committed to preventing child abuse and neglect in Maui County. Our symbol is the hukilau (net), which reminds us that our strength is in working together to ensure that our safety net has no puka’s (holes).Partner with Us Please contact Hoʻoikaika Partnership to share items for this newsletter. |
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