Hawai‘i Life Charitable Fund Donated $200,000 To Local Causes in 2018

Through the fundraising efforts of the Hawai’i Life Charitable Fund’s board of directors and the generous contributions of Hawai‘i Life’s agents and clients, we were able to raise and donate $200,000 in 2018 to Hawai-based 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organizations serving the Hawaiian Islands. We want to give a huge mahalo to those who donated their time, efforts, energy and money to support local causes, which included the acute needs of Hawai‘i residents facing flooding, fires and volcanic activity, as well as the long-term needs that the HLCF supports each year through the Hawai‘i Love Grant Program.

The Hawai‘i Life Charitable Fund (or HLCF)  was created to meet the needs of communities across the state and to leverage Hawai‘i Life’s broad network to support local causes. In 2018, Hawai‘i Life agents, brokers and clients contributed to a record year of fundraising and donations to local nonprofit organizations through the HLCF at the Hawai‘i Community Foundation – a partnership that ensures that all HLCF funds raised are distributed to maximize their impact in our communities. The Hawai‘i Community Foundation has been a key advisor and partner in our journey.

Please give some Hawai‘i Love at give.hawaiilife.com

Disaster Relief

Hawai‘i faced a series of extraordinary events this year that impacted families across the state. In April, record rainfalls led to catastrophic flooding on Kaua‘i and Oahu. The eruption of Kilauea on the Big Island soon followed, displacing hundreds of families and destroying entire neighborhoods. In the prelude to Hurricane Lane in August, wildfires broke out on Maui and these were fueled by 48 mph winds that preceded the hurricane. Unfortunately, the storm brought little or no rainfall or relief to firefighters working to put out multiple blazes in the early morning hours.

In light of these events, Hawaii Life reached out to our agents and clients around the world, and you answered – every single time. With so much gratitude for your generosity, we are happy to report that the HLCF made more than $170,000 in contributions to the following local organizations to assist with disaster relief in 2018:

• Habitat for Humanity Maui, Inc.
• Maui Food Bank
• The Salvation Army-Hawaiian & Pacific Islands Division
• American Red Cross, Hawai‘i State Chapter
• Ka Hale A Ke Ola Homeless Resource Centers, Inc.
• HOPE Services Hawai‘i, Inc.
• Kaua‘i Relief and Recovery Fund (a fund at the Hawai‘i Community Foundation)
• Malama Kaua‘i

Caring for our Keiki

Each year, the Hawai’i Life Charitable Fund provides grants to local 501(c)(3) organizations across the state. In 2018 our giving focus was Caring for our Keiki. The HLCF was able to provide $20,000 in Hawai’i Love Grants to a total of four deserving nonprofit organizations in need. “The four charities were chosen because their projects are in keeping with our mission and our current giving focus of Caring for our Keiki,” said Mealoha Kraus, Chairman of the HLCF, in the spring of this year. Each grant recipient received $5,000 to support their services and programming that assist children on each of O‘ahu, Hawai‘i Island, Maui and Kaua‘i. Benefiting nonprofits included:

• Friends of the Children Justice Center of East Hawai‘i
• Anaina Hou Community Park
• Grow Some Good
• Surfrider Spirit Sessions

Hawaiian Islands Land Trust

Throughout 2018, the HLCF continued our multi-year commitment to support the Hawaiian Islands Land Trust (HILT) in their land preservation efforts across the state. As a founding member and a member of the Na Koa ‘Aina Distinguished Fellows Program, we are committed to ensuring that Hawai‘i’s special places and abundant natural treasures are protected for future generations to enjoy and use. Through our involvement with HILT and Hawai‘i Life’s Conservation and Legacy Lands initiative, we hope to contribute to the protection of important Hawai‘i ecosystems, cultural sites, watersheds, agricultural lands, and historic places.

Worthshop 8 Fundraising Efforts

We wish to share a huge thanks to Lindy Hussey, Vice Chair of the Hawai’i Life Charitable Fund and team leader of the Fundraising Committee, who worked alongside some very dedicated and hardworking HLCF volunteers throughout the fall and into December. Their efforts culminated in this year’s Worthshop, Hawai‘i Life’s annual conference series, which was held at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel on Hawai‘i Island. The HLCF’s Fundraising Committee raised more than $12,000 at this year’s Worthshop. Fundraising efforts included a live auction and an engaging prize giveaway that spanned several days and that included an incredible array of prizes. The HLCF Board of Directors also wishes to thank Hawai‘i Life’s Rhonda Hay and Carrie Nicholson for organizing a golf tournament that raised an additional $3,000 for the HLCF.

Due to the generosity of many local businesses who donated prizes and sponsored the golf tournament and the many charitable contributions of Hawai‘i Life agents and Worthshop 8 attendees, the HLCF is closing the year just a little bit closer to our fundraising goals. However, we are still $10,000 short of our fundraising goal. The HLCF is accepting donations to reach our goal of raising $25,000 to fund 2019’s Hawai‘i Love Grant Program. We encourage you to help by giving online today.

HLCF’s Giving Focus for 2019: Shelter for Families in Need

We are excited to announce the HLCF’s giving focus in 2019. In the lead-up to Worthshop 8, Hawai‘i Life agents were asked to vote by text or online for their preferred giving focus in 2019. From a short list of options presented by the HLCF Board of Directors, the overwhelming choice for 2019’s Hawai‘i Love Grant Program is to fund local nonprofits that assist families with housing needs. Shelter for Families in Need will be the Hawai‘i Life Charitable Fund’s giving focus in 2019, and as we did in 2018, our goal is to provide four grants of $5,000 each to a local non-profit on each of Oahu, Maui, Kaua‘i and Hawai‘i Island. Please help the HLCF to reach that goal by donating at the close of each escrow or online at give.hawaiilife.com.