Hawaiʻi Rising

Community news for May 2026: in this episode we hear updates on grassroots response and recovery work since the Kona low storms in March. 

We start with two short status updates sent in by partners:

• Jessica dos Santos (Kūpaʻa Kuilima) has been active with the Lāhui Foundation community hub in Kahuku, Oʻahu.
• Camille Kalama (Koʻihonua) in Waiawa kai, Oʻahu, shares about the flooding impacts in her neighborhood along the Pearl City bike path.

After status updates, we have two interviews:

• Nicole Kahale shares about the ongoing recovery in Waialua, Oʻahu, where she has been part of the grassroots response since day 1. You can find her calls to action on her Instagram account @nicolekahale.
• Micky Huihui, executive director of HPF, uplifts the flood response work of several HPF partners and shares about HPF's Urgent Action support for grassroots hui.

Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii

After the back-to-back Kona low storms in March brought catastrophic flooding to multiple islands, our communities immediately leapt into action to support those most impacted. Over the past few weeks, we’ve witnessed grassroots community resource hubs, donation drives, supply deliveries, and boots-on-the ground volunteer work happening in a big way.

In this episode, we have two short updates from hubs and organizers across our network:

• Hui Aloha ʻĀina o Koʻolaupoko has been running a community donation hub in Koʻolaupoko on the windward side of Oʻahu. They can be contacted at haakoolaupoko@pm.me.
• The Hawaiʻi Workerʻs Center has been carrying out worker wellness checks in impacted areas and organizes a Kōkua Fund, which offers one-time support for workers impacted by the Kona low storms. To reach out for the Kōkua Fund, you can email contact@hawaiiworkerscenter.org or call 808-743-1031.

Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii

A conversation with James Auld and Pua Summer from Mutual Aid Lāhui.

Mutual Aid Lāhui empowers the lāhui through education, advocacy, and mālama ‘āina and mobilizes to flank community events and relief work. The Mutual Aid Lāhui crew are passionate about feeding the Lāhui and providing support where it’s needed most.

Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii

Community news for March 2026! After headlines, we feature interviews with two HPF partners advocating for their communities during this legislative session:

• First, Cameron Miyamoto (co-president of PFLAG Oʻahu) shares about PFLAG Oʻahu's participation in the 2nd annual Queer Day at the Capitol on February 17 and about HB 1875, a bill to protect access to gender-affirming care. To learn more about PFLAG Oʻahu, check out our full-length interview with the two co-presidents here.
• Second, we hear an update from Anne Frederick, executive director of the Hawaiʻi Alliance for Progressive Action (HAPA), and their focus on two legislative areas: getting money out of politics and protecting communities from pesticide drift. To see the data on pesticide use and learn more about the Safe Farms, Safe Food coalition, visit safefarmssafefood.com. To learn more about HAPA, check out our full-length interview with them here.

Links from headlines:

• To see when our partners are hosting workdays and how to RSVP, visit hawaiipeoplesfund.org/calendar.
• The survey on traumatic brain injury uplifted by Kamāwaelualani can be found here.

Mahina ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi episodes:

• 98. ʻĪmaikalani Winchester (Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea Honolulu): "Hāpai i ke kuleana"
• 97. Pualiʻi Rossi (I Ola Wailuanui): "He aha ka makemake o ka ʻāina ʻo Wailuanui?"

Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii

A Mahina ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi episode featuring ʻĪmaikalani Winchester, lead organizer for the annual celebration of Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea at Thomas Square, with guest host Hina Kaʻōpua Canonigo. Also check out our past English-language episode with the organizers of Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea Honolulu.

Ma kēia hualono, kamaʻilio ʻo ʻĪmaikalani Winchester e pili ana i ka moʻolelo o ka Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea.

Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii

An ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi special episode from 2023 with guest host Krisha Zane. 

He kamaʻilio ʻana me Tanya Mailelani Naehu (Hui o Kuapā) e pili ana i ka hana o kona hui i ka loko iʻa ʻo ʻŌhalahala ma ke ahupuaʻa ʻo Kūmimi ma ka mokupuni ʻo Molokai. 

For our English-language episode with Maile and Hanohano Naehu, see episode 1. Hui o Kuapā: Restoring Fish Ponds on Molokai.

Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii

In addition to fresh episodes in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi this Hawaiian Language Month, we're resharing this special episode in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi featuring Dr. Kū Kahakalau and Pōlani Kahakalau, with guest host Pualiʻi Rossi. Also check out our past English-language episode with Dr. Kū and Pōlani about EA Ecoversity.

Ma kēia hualono, kamaʻilio ʻo ʻAnakē Kū Kahakalau lāua ʻo Pōlani Kahakalau e pili ana i ko lāua hoʻomau ʻana i ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi ma ka hale, ma ke kula, a ma ko lāua ʻoihana i kapa ʻia ʻo EA Ecoversity. ʻO ka mea hoʻokipa no ia kamaʻilio ʻana, ʻo ia ʻo Pualiʻi Rossi, he alakaʻi ma ka hui ʻo I Ola Wailuanui a he lālā ma ka hui ʻo Hawaiʻi Alliance for Progressive Action.

Website: www.kuakanaka.com/eaecoversity

Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii

We kick off Mahina ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi with a special episode in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi featuring Pualiʻi Rossi, the president of I Ola Wailuanui, with guest host Brad Watanabe. Also check out our English-language episode about I Ola Wailuanui with Pualiʻi and her fellow board member Mason Chock.

Ma kēia hualono, kamaʻilio ʻo Pualiʻi Rossi e pili ana i kona aʻo ʻana i ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi a me ka hana a ka hui ʻo I Ola Wailuanui, ʻo ia hoʻi, ka mālama ʻana i ka ʻāina ʻo Wailuanui no nā hanauna e hiki mai ana.

Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii

A conversation about ʻāina stewardship with Kekupuloa Kim from ʻĀina Kōnea.

ʻĀina Kōnea is a grassroots hui with the mission to restore the reciprocal ea between the kānaka and ʻāina of Wahiawā by way of cultural revitalization. They care for a kīpuka in the forest of Wahiawā Uka along a section of Kaukonahua Stream known as Kuaʻikua.

Website: https://www.ainakonea.org

Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii

Community news for January 2026! After headlines, we feature interviews with updates from two long-time grantee partners:

• ʻĀinaaloha Ioane, the executive director of the Keliʻi William Ioane Legacy Foundation, shares the latest milestones in the efforts of the King's Landing community to secure long-term leases on the homestead lands they have lived on for decades.
• Kami Yamamoto and Lauren Taijeron from the Hawaiʻi Workers Center share updates on their work organizing low-wage, non-union workers on Oʻahu, including the reinvigoration of the COFA Workers Association of Honolulu and their ongoing campaign against wage theft.

To learn more, listen to our previous episodes:

• 5. Keliʻi William Ioane Legacy Foundation: Growing Up in King‘s Landing
• 45. Keliʻi William Ioane Legacy Foundation: Community, Ceremony, and Collective Abundance
• 51. Hawaiʻi Workers Center: Empowering Workers to Organize

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Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii