Hawai‘i Gives Back: A Letter from Aloha United Way

November 1, 2021

HONOLULU Branded Content Team,

Aloha Donors & Community,

In more than a century of serving our local community, Aloha United Way (AUW) has never seen a time quite like this. We are grateful for your unwavering support—up to and including last year—which has allowed us to rise up to the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic that is changing our lives forever.

The health and economic crises that our island state faces are affecting everyone—regardless of race, gender, age, religion, identity and economic status—in some way, far more than we could have ever imagined. But social services and local nonprofits sense of ‘ohana have provided inspiration and hope as they have found creative solutions to help support individuals and families during these difficult times.

As many of you know, at Aloha United Way we boosted staffing of the 211 Helpline and expanded operations from five to seven days a week, 15 hours a day, to meet continuing demands. We remain a reliable resource and “the first call” for those seeking food, looking for answers to health-related questions, keiki care, kūpuna concerns, and searching for funding for rent, mortgage and utilities.

Despite the pandemic, individuals, local companies and government allowed us to invest over $44 million into the community last year. We also responded in the following ways:

Provided information and referrals via AUW’s 211 Helpline 173,832 times
Helped to keep thousands of Hawai‘i residents from possible eviction through four, distinct rent
relief programs
Distributed $1.7 million to the AUW impact area grantees Safety Net and ALICE
Supported 349 local partner agencies with vital funding throughout the year

The past 18 months have been riddled with profound community trauma. It has also been a time of unprecedented togetherness, cooperation and generosity. In moments of dire circumstances, we show our true colors, as many have done and continue to do. This critical work, however, is far from over.

Thank you for all that you have done to ensure that we maintain our stride and keep moving forward together. Now is the time to rebuild our communities stronger than they were before. Let’s continue to advance our collective health, education, financial stability and overall well-being so that Hawai‘i can become stronger, more inclusive and more sustainable than ever.

Hawaii Gives Back John Fink Signature