February 22, 2023 | Written by Molly McKee
Kaiser Permanente is a Hall of Fame company.
Kaiser Permanente has awarded a total of $240,000 in grants to three non-profits serving homeless and at-risk individuals in Hawaii. Project Vision Hawaii will receive a $90,000 grant and $75,000 will go to both the Hawaii Health & Harm Reduction Center and HOPE Services Hawaii. Each of these nonprofits assists Hawaii’s most underserved communities.
These grants are the most recent in a series of contributions from Kaiser Permanente to help residents in Hawaii receive the vital support that they need to improve their health conditions. The company awarded more than $2.2 million in grants and scholarships in 2022 to support health and wellness in these communities.
Project Vision Hawaii will use its grant to expand street access to medicine for individuals experiencing homelessness and to continue its mobile hygiene outreach program, which provides street medicine, hot showers, medical education and health insurance application assistance.
Hawaii Health & Harm Reduction Center (HHHRC) will use its grant to support its mission of providing homeless prevention services to the transgender community in Oahu. HHHRC assists transgender individuals in finding access to physical and mental health care, housing and nutritional services through the Kuaana Project.
The Kuaana Project also offers workshops to teach financial literacy and life skills, as well as community education events to highlight obstacles that sexual and gender minorities face in their search for safe and stable housing accommodations.
HOPE Services Hawaii will use its grant for its Clinical Behavioral Health Program, which serves rural communities on Hawaii Island to help end homelessness, poverty and substance abuse.
“At Kaiser Permanente, it’s part of our mission to extend care beyond our hospital and medical facilities,” said Greg Christian, Hawaii Market President, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals. “We are honored to work with wonderful community partners to care for these underserved populations.”