Aloha <<First Name>>,
As we begin a new year together, January invites both reflection and renewed commitment. It is also Human Trafficking Awareness Month, a time to shine a light on an issue that affects families and youth in Maui County and across Hawaiʻi. By strengthening protective factors, staying informed, and working across sectors, we can help prevent exploitation and support healing, safety, and dignity for all. Mahalo for the care, vigilance, and collaboration you bring to this work every day.
Deb Marois, Hoʻoikaika Partnership Coordinator |
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HP Meeting Schedule
January 14: In person for partners/committee members. Registrants will receive confirmation emails on Monday January 12. If you did not receive confirmation, please contact HP Coordinator Deb Marois.
February 11: Join us on Zoom from 11:30 am - 1 pm. Look for agenda in next month's newsletter. New: Our Zoom registration process now allows you to register for multiple meetings at once. Reserve your calendar up to a year in advance! |
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ʻOhana Fuels Presents Donation to Hoʻoikaika Partnership
ʻOhana Fuels presented a check to Hoʻoikaika Partnership on Monday, December 15, at the Hawaiʻi Petroleum office, celebrating funds raised through the “ Fuel up. Do good.™” program and two community car wash fundraisers held this past summer. From July through September 2025, Maui residents contributed $6,027.60 to Hoʻoikaika Partnership simply by filling up their tanks at ʻOhana Fuels stations. An additional $1,280.00 was raised through two car washes hosted by Hoʻoikaika partners on July 12 and August 23 at the Kahului ʻOhana Fuels/Minit Stop location on Wakea Avenue. Together, the campaign generated a total of $7,307.60 to strengthen families across Maui County. We are incredibly grateful for the generosity of ʻOhana Fuels and everyone in the community who fueled up or stopped by for a car wash! |
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Pictured L to R: Jon Jennings (Hawaii Petroleum), Paul Tonnessen (FCJC of Maui), Deb Marois (Converge Consulting), Tina Kiyabu-Crowell (DOH/CAMHD), Jayme Galase (MFSS), Bobbie-Jo Moniz-Tadeo (Imua Family Services), Euconfra "Connie" Meekhof (PACT), Cayla Kutaka (PACT), Edel Baguio-Larena (MFSS) and Laura Alfonso (Hawaii Petroleum) |
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2026 Kalo Boy Book Orders
Hoʻoikaika Partnership needs your help to estimate how many books to print in 2026.
Contributions to the printing fund are encouraged. Fulfillment of requests will depend on availability of funding. Questions? Please contact HP Coordinator Deb Marois |
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2025 Hoʻoikaika Partnership Year in Review
Last year Ho‘oikaika Partnership supported hundreds of families with concrete resources, community events and public education, and invested in our workforce. All this was possible because of our partners, funders and supporters. Mahalo nui loa to all of you for your hard work and commitment to keeping all our ʻohana healthy, safe and supported!
Check out Hoʻoikaika Partnership's social media highlight reel featuring the collective work of our partners. Please like & share! |
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Partner & Ally News
The Department of the Attorney General’s Special Investigation and Prosecution Division invites you and your agency to participate in anti-human trafficking events during Human Trafficking Awareness Month in January 2026. They will host a Virtual Lunch & Learn Speaker Series on various dates throughout the month from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. Visit the event calendar to learn more and register.
Maui United Way recently appointed Jeeuyn Lee as it's new Chief Executive Officer. She most recently served as the organization’s Director of Community Impact and as Interim CEO since July 2025. She will oversee a close-knit team of five staff, facilitating nearly sixty programs and a budget of over $5 million. Congratulations Jee! Read More
Maui Family Support Services received an ACT310 Grant-In-Aid grant from the State in response to the federal budget cut for Early Head Start. A big relief for families!
First 5 Hawaiʻi is a new online tool to help families find free programs for child care, housing, nutrition, parenting support and more. Visit https://firstfivehawaii.org/ to help families find programs they may quality for.
Hawaiʻi Children's Action Network coordinated a public education series that will air throughout the year on KHON2. For Our Keiki launched in December to bring more awareness around early childhood development and empower families statewide. The first segment featured Cherilyn Shiinoki from Family Hui Hawaiʻi, who did an incredible job speaking about early brain development. View the segment here: Why the first five years matter most for a child’s brain. Congratulations to Preschool Development Grant Manager Gwen Whiting who coordinated the effort! Hawaiʻi Children's Trust Fund Advisory Committee Nomination Call: Two new nominees, Lynn Nguyen and Deb Marois, were recently welcomed to the committee at the December 11th meeting, leaving one seat open. If you would like to nominate someone (self ‑nominations encouraged), please submit the following to Leʻa Hanawahine by January 30: A short biography Organization Name and Affiliation Photo
If you are a nominee, plan to attend the in-person meeting on February 13 in Honolulu when |
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2026 Opening Day
Join Hawaiʻi Children's Action Network on January 21, 2026 to kick off the legislative session with the voices of families leading the way.
Limited travel scholarships are available. Info sessions will be held prior to Opening Day to get more detailed information:
Wednesday, January 14th at 12:00 PM
Monday, January 19th at 5:00 PM
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2026 HAWAI‘I CHILDREN'S POLICY AGENDA
Proposals needed votes from at least one-third (33%) of the voting organizations. Visit their website to sign on as an individual or organizational champion! Free School Meals for Charter Students Youth Housing Stability Assistance Program Household / Dependent Care Services Tax Credit Free Public Bus Access for Youth E-Bike Regulations for Keiki Legal Counsel for Foster Care Youth Banning Flavored Tobacco GET Exemption / Tax Credit for Diapers Mental Health Digital Platforms Community Schools Constitutional Amendment on Property Tax
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New Advocate's Guide and Public Workshops
PAR is hosting public zoom workshops in advance of the 2026 legislative session. These will be recorded, so even if you can't attend, register and you’ll receive an email of the recording after each session. Or, look for the recordings on PAR’s YouTube channel a day or so after each workshop. Zoom Workshops from 12:00 -1p.m. New: Advocates Guide
The Public Access Room has produced The Advocate’s Guide to be a resource to anyone that wants to learn more about the legislative process in the State of Hawaii.
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HIPHI Policy and Advocacy Training
Join Hawaiʻi Public Health Institute for this virtual training to learn about how to engage in the legislative process. Learn how to advocate for policies you care about, navigate the capitol website and interact with Hawai‘i legislators. Learn more Register WHEN: January 17 from 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM WHERE: ZOOM
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Read this compelling New York Times article and view a clip from a documentary film that asks us to "do the hard, uncomfortable work required to protect children by talking more openly about child sexual abuse and by bringing prevention to the forefront of the conversation."
Check out the Baby Brain Map! Gain a deeper understanding of baby brain development and how to support young children at every stage of their journey. Share the tool with families to demystify the stages of baby brain development and empower them to nurture their child’s growth.
New SNAP Restrictions: Hawaiʻi is among six states approved by the US Department of Agriculture to impose new restrictions on food purchases under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, a change that will limit what SNAP recipients can buy beginning in 2026. Some local groups oppose. Read more in Maui Now |
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Training & Professional Development |
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High in Plain Sight Training Save the Date: Feb 6, 2026
This webinar offered by "Tall Cop" will provide attendees with the ability, knowledge and confidence to help prevent and identify individuals who are abusing drugs and/or alcohol.
Attendees will also be taught the strategies and different terms that are consistent with alcohol & drug abuse. There are several identifiers, logos and terms that are commonly related to drug (illegal and over-the-counter) and alcohol abuse, marijuana abuse, and drug concealment on school, home, and work property. |
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The Institute on Violence, Abuse and Trauma (IVAT) Hawaiʻi Summit is a multidisciplinary gathering of professionals working together to address the major issues in fields dealing with violence, abuse, and trauma. International and local speakers come together to share their findings on causation, prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation at both the global level and at smaller, community-based levels.
Early bird registration ends Jan 15 |
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participate and share upcoming trainings. |
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