PIDF Receives Grant from Nā ʻOiwi Kāne Fund at the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation May 8, 2018

Partners in Development Foundation (PIDF) received a total of $25,000 from the donor advised Nā ʻŌiwi Kāne Fund at the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation. The fund aims to “empower Native Hawaiians through programs and projects focusing on transferring the skills, values, and practices of the traditional Hawaiian way of life to the most vulnerable members of the community.”

PIDF’s Nā Pono No Nā ʻOhana’s (Nā Pono) Program was awarded $15,000 to maintain the accessibility and delivery of its comprehensive Family Education program housed at Blanche Pope Elementary School in Waimānalo Homestead Land. Nā ʻŌiwi Kāne Funds received will support program activities such as Nā Pono’s high school equivalency portion of its Adult Education (AE) component, as well as other Family Education components including Home Visiting. The AE component focuses on reaching the 639 Homeless or at-risk individuals in Waimānalo, including approximately 40-45 Competency Based students, 92% who are Native Hawaiian and range in age from 16-77. Home visiting brings additional one-on-one support for children and families, many of who are considered “hidden homeless,” families who stay with others because they cannot afford rent/mortgage on their own and would otherwise be homeless.

PIDF’s Ke Kama Pono Safe House (KKP) was awarded $10,000 to maintain its Education Component, which includes Department of Education (DOE) certified teachers who teach the residents and provide necessary curriculum on site. Through this component, KKP residents are able to receive credits and letter grades for completed assignments of good quality while they are going through the program, which are then transferable to public schools affiliated with the DOE to ensure they stay on track and are able to graduate. KKP is a twelve-bed residential facility for adjudicated male youth between the ages of 13-17. With an average length of stay at six to eight months, all residents receive guided care and instruction during this time from adult role models in order to make positive changes in their lives. Native Hawaiians make up 40% of residents who have gone through the program. The total recidivism for the KKP program currently stands at 29%, whereas the national average for this same age group remains at an alarming 75%.

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ABOUT NĀ ʻOIWI KĀNE
Na Oiwi Kane (NOK), is a nonprofit Native Hawaiian Organization as defined by the Small Business Administration (SBA) incorporated in 2002 to serve the needs of the Native Hawaiian Community. NOK’s mission is to serve at-risk families in the Hawaiian Community who are missing a responsible male role model within their households. It is through the family that children learn to be responsible men and woman in our communities. It is through the family that children learn to respect and care for each other and their communities. NOK provides for program support to like-minded organizations in the Native Hawaiian Community who share our mission and values.

ABOUT HAWAIʻI COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
With over 100 years of community service, the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation (HFC) is the leading philanthropic institution in the state. HCF is a steward of more than 850 funds, including more than 250 scholarship funds, created by donors who desire to transform lives and improve communities. In 2017, HCF distributed more than $59 million in grants and contracts statewide, including more than $6 million in scholarships. HCF also serves as a resource on community issues and trends in the nonprofit sector.