Message from the CEO
Mahalo for joining us in our mission to end homelessness in Hawai’i!
When you support HOPE Services, your generosity puts a roof over the heads of homeless families, helps our vulnerable neighbors to rejoin society, and enables the community to be a part of the solution in ending homelessness. This year, we made a significant, positive impact, not only for the people we helped to avoid or overcome homelessness, but for our entire community. We couldn’t have accomplished this without your generous donations, volunteerism, and ambassadorship! By sharing your support for our mission with your friends and neighbors, you helped build the public support we needed to build a shelter for lava evacuees in less than a month, to help children off the streets, and to make plans to expand our services so that everybody on Hawai’i Island has a home and connection to their community. We are grateful to all of our partners, who are an integral part of our mission to end homelessness. It takes a community to reach this goal!
We can do this,
Brandee Menino
The Story of HOPE
On October 1, 2010, the Office for Social Ministry, Care-A-Van Program of the Diocese of Honolulu became HOPE Services Hawaii, Inc. (HOPE). Although our name changed, we remained the same nonprofit 501 (c) (3) corporation providing services and programs to those most in need in the community with the same dedicated staff and support from the Diocese of Honolulu. While the Office for Social Ministry Department continues at the Diocese of Honolulu to work with our parishes and schools, the work of the Care-A-Van Program became part of HOPE Services Hawaii, Inc. Bishop Larry Silva remains committed to helping end homelessness and the incorporation of the Care-A-Van program into HOPE Services Hawaii, Inc. has allowed us to be more visible in our community.
It has become obvious that in order to end homelessness in Hawaii, social services, politicians, the business community, and especially the faith community, need to work together toward the common goal of serving our brothers and sisters who are without a place to lay their heads each night. The faith community offers diverse services to people experiencing homelessness to help them transition off the streets. A sense of community, belonging and long-term personal accountability are critical to helping people realize their self worth.
Now, 10 years later, we are celebrating a decade of growth! Some our our proudest achievements include Sacred Heart Shelter, the micro-shelters for lava evacuees, Keolahou (Hawaii Island’s first Ohana Zone), and the formation of our Street Medicine program. Looking to the future, we have much to be excited for, including Sacred Heart Community, an expansion of the existing micro-shelters, to encompass a community of affordable housing for seniors. We’re also looking forward to the opening of Kukuiola in Kona, and the addition of Permanent Supportive Housing at Keolahou.
We invite your involvement, and whether your faith-based organization has been serving families and individuals experiencing homelessness for generations or you’re just getting started, HOPE Services Hawaii would like to partner with you or your group. We recognize that it takes a community to directly and effectively impact homelessness in Hawaii. Come partner with us, talk story. If you would like to get more information on how your organization can get involved with putting an end to homelessness, please contact 808-935-3050. It will further allow us to expand our reach and do what we do best. And that’s serving the most vulnerable of our community.
TAKE ACTION
“Share your story. I believe that is the #1 way to drive the message home.”
Susan, formerly homeless Hawaiʻi Island resident