Covid Response
Partners in Development Foundation is committed to responding to the needs of our community. From food distributions, connecting the community to the vital resources to lessen the impact of Covid-19, and even temporarily managing an iso-quarantine facility, PIDF is here for you.
ABOUT
The Open Arms Harbor iso-quarantine hotel started in response to a cry for help from individuals and ʻohana that have been exposed to or tested positive for COVID-19 and who have no place to go. Operating out of the former Harbor Arms Hotel, the Open Arms Harbor served over 200 guests through a collaboration with the Department of Health and the City and County of Honolulu from November of 2020 through March of 2021.
Many people in our Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) community live in multigenerational homes, making it difficult to isolate without endangering their loved ones safely. The Opens Arms Harbor provided a safe and compassionate place for healing, with staff who performed daily wellness checks, meals, and case management care to connect guests with resources within the community.
Since the closing of the Open Arms Harbor operation, PIDF continued to work steadfastly to close the gap for those who need access to covid-relief resources. Such efforts include digital equity that provide educational tools like tablets and headphones for keiki and youth; ongoing food distributions in some of the hardest hit communities; and collaborative culturally-sensitive messaging like PSAs and social media campaigns with other Hawaiian agencies to provide trust-worthy information.
Accomplishments
COVID RESOURCES
During these difficult times, Partners in Development Foundation is committed to continuing our services to the best of our abilities while striving to ensure the health and safety of our staff, program families, and communities. Below are services to connect you with covid-relief resources.
IN OUR COMMUNITIES
Protecting the health and well-being of our program families and staff is our top priority. That's why we strive to be proactive to minimize the impact of COVID-19. We work in tandem with our leadership, program managers, and our boots-on-the-ground staff to ensure we are taking every precaution and follow all state and county guidelines.
As we journey through COVID-19 together, our thoughts and prayers go out to all our families in our program and State.
RECENT NEWS
Civil Cafe: How The Pandemic Has Affected Hawaii’s Indigenous People
Honolulu Civil Beat hosted a discussion with Native Hawaiian leaders who share data, anecdotes, and more on the impact of the pandemic on Hawaiʻi’s lāhui.
Resilience Hub receives $10,000 from Hawaiian Electric
PIDF received a $10,000 grant from Hawaiian Electric to continue the Resilience Hub in Kohala, a project under the Pili a Pa‘a program that provides a safe space for keiki who are doing distance learning because of the COVID-19 pandemic and whose caregivers are unable to supervise them.
20 for the Next 20: Josie Howard
We are so proud of our mentee program, We Are Oceania’s Executive Director, Josie Howard, who was selected for Hawaii Business Magazine’s “20 For the next 20,” honoring people whose talents, accomplishments and potential set them apart as emerging leaders of Hawaiʻi for the next 20 years.
PIDF Covid Response PSA
Since the onset of the pandemic, PIDF jumped in to help close the gap between those who have access to resources and those who don’t. This PSA shares PIDF’s outreach and ways to support our communities.