Joint Committee on Nonprofit Grants Program

Aloha and good morning, everybody. Welcome to our Act 310 hearing today. I just want to thank everybody for participating in this process. You know, this is the first time we've ever done this, and so, you know, there are a lot of things we had to work through in the beginning.

First, I want to thank Aloha United Way for being our community partner, you know, for really stepping up and helping us, taking all the applications, you know. But now that we—at this point, all the hard work really works for you, starts for you folks. So, thank you.

I want to thank the Governor and Office of Community Services and the Lieutenant Governor for helping us craft this measure and of course, our Senate counterparts. You know, putting this $50 million aside to serve our nonprofit community was important for us during this session because we knew that we would be facing some uncertainty.

It was not an easy task as we received over 200 applications for a total of over $150 million, so it's obvious that there's a lot of need out there in our community.

I want to thank everybody who took the time to apply, for those who came and took the time to testify at our hearing a few weeks ago, and for those who took the time to schedule meetings with our offices and further explain your request. Unfortunately, there's, you know, not enough funds to go around to each organization.

But, you know, as I've mentioned to a few organizations, please apply during our regular granting aid process, which applications come out in January. Also wanted to thank House leadership for allowing myself and Representative Takenouchi to take part in this process. And this one, I'm going to turn it over to the Senate.

First, I also want to thank everyone for their patience. I know many of you have been on pins and needles, really having to deal with the current situation and needing this funding as soon as possible, so you can still get operations going and help people who really depend on your services.

We want to thank the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, Senate President speaker, Members of the House and Senate for all of their input and their assistance in making sure that the Committee received as much information as possible on the different needs and definitely urgent needs across the state. These are uncertain times, especially with the federal funding situation.

Residents who rely on programs like SNAP and WIC underwent uncertainty and quite a bit of stress. So did thousands of federal employees who sought help from food banks to provide for their families. Just as we emerged from the shutdown, it's still not clear what the future may bring, and we still may see some disruptions to our communities.

The Legislature passed Act 310 so that we could provide a safety net to preserve and continue programs that are so sorely needed.

At the very beginning, our goal was to assist organizations that have lost federal funding or serve at risk populations, and that is why the Committee prioritized health care, human services and education, the arts, and food distribution.

While not everyone could be awarded, I believe that you will see that this list of awardees, many will agree that the programs with long reach will have high impact with this investment. With that being said, as Co-Chair, the recommendation is to accept the following list.

808 Rising, $200,000; Access Surf, $250,000; Adult Friends for Youth, $400,000; Ahapunana Leo, $750,000; Aloha Care, $1,000,000; Alulike, $186,000; Arc of Maui County, $500,000; Big Island Substance Abuse Council, $500,000; Bobby Benson Center, $195,000; Boys and Girls Club of Big Island, $2,000,000.

Boys and Girls Club of Hawaii, $400,000; Bridge House, $150,000; Castle Medical Center, $500,000; Catholic Charities Hawaii, $300,000; Seeds of Peace, $75,000; Child and Family Service, $1,000,000; Hawaiian Council, $400,000; Community Clinic of Maui, $750,000; Domestic Violence Action Center, $400,000; Elepaio Social Services, $1,000,000.

Family Hui Hawaii, $200,000; Family Promise of Hawaii, $459,000; Five Mountains Hawaii, $560,250; Feed Hawaii, $227,000; Feeding Hawaii Together, $500,000; Friends of the Children's Justice Center of Oahu, $15,000; Goodwill Industries of Hawaii, $1,000,000; Pele Maha Olu, $300,000; Hana Health, $1,025,000; Hawaii Academy Council, $86,000.

Hawaii Children's Action Network, $100,000; Hawaii Disabilities Rights Center, $225,000; Good Food Alliance, $1,000,000; Hawaii Family Law Clinic, $140,000; Hawaii Food Bank, $5,00,000; Hawaii Health and Harm Reduction Center, $90,000; Hawaii Islands HIV AIDS Foundation, $180,000; Hawaii Island United Way, $80,000; Hawaii Literacy, $350,000; Hawaii Meals on Wheels, $450,000.

Hawaii Public Radio, $500,000; Hawaii Youth Services Network, $600,000; Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies, $600,000; Hawaii Good Samaritan Foundation, $300,000; Hilo United Methodist Church, $8,000; Honolulu Community Action Program, $350,000; Honolulu Theater for Youth, $300,000; Imua Family Services, $500,000; In Peace, $500,000; Kauai Economic Opportunity, $844,500.

Kauai Food Bank, $95,000; Kekahu Foundation, $83,000; Medical Youth Project, $250,000; Bukuokali Valley Comprehensive Family Services, $1,250,000; Olalo Health Center, $500,000; Puikini Medical Center, $1,250,000; Kulani Akea, $449,600; Upu, $1,500,000; Lanai Community Health Center, $730,000; Legal Aid Society of Hawaii, $300,000.

Living Pono Project, $2,250,000; Lokahi Treatment Centers, $50,000; Malama Kauai, $100,000; Malama Pono Health Services, $200,000; Maui Economic Opportunity, $500,000; Maui Family Support Services, $800,000; Maui Food Bank, $895,000; Maui Hub, $45,000; Maui United Way, $100,000; Molokai Ohana Healthcare, $188,000.

My Brother's Keeper, $250,000; North Kohala Community Resource Center, $32,500; North Shore EVP, $127,000; Olelo Community Media, $500,000; Pacific Gateway, $250,000; Palehua Conservation Initiatives, $76,000; Partners in Development Foundation, $750,000; Shack Foundation, $300,000; Sounding Joy Music Therapy, $145,000; Spill the Tea Cafe, $500,000.

Susannah Wesley Community Center, $250,000; Teach for America, $34,000; The Food Basket, $1,500,000; The Legal Clinic, $100,000; Upcountry Strong, $50,000; Wahiawa Center for Community Health, $1,250,000; Waianae District Comprehensive Health and Hospital, $1,250,000; Waikiki Community Center, $150,000; Waimanalo Health Center, $1,000,000; Weed and Seed Hawaii, $100,000; West Hawaii Community Health Center, $1.4 million.

West Hawaii Region Hospital Foundation, $469,300; YMCF Honolulu, $457,000; YWCA of Oahu, $584,150. Finally, YWCA of Kauai, $500,000.

Thank you. Any discussion? If not, the—any objections, reservations to the list of nonprofits and awarded amount? In the list is, as read, is adopted. Okay, so we're adjourning the, the informational briefing. Mahalo.