FALL 2022 Update from our CEO

Dear Friends,

It is hard to believe that the summer has come and gone, and we are about to embark on the final quarter of the year. I hope you all had a chance to enjoy a little time this summer with friends and family as we continue to adjust to life with COVID-19. HIPHI had its first in-person staff meeting since the start of the pandemic and we made the most of it! With more than half of our staff starting after March 2020, many had never met each other in person. Our staff meeting consisted of sharing important information, celebrating our new office with an office blessing, and some much-needed team bonding. Our work during COVID-19 has led us to a new way of working together, but nothing surpasses the feeling of being together. We thank our friends and partners who came out to our office blessing and shared in the start of this next chapter for HIPHI. Our new address is 707 Richards Street, Suite 300, Honolulu, Hawai‘i, 96813.

Our busy summer was filled with exciting growth! Since July, we have onboarded eight new staff to the HIPHI ‘ohana, which included two Community Health Workers (CHW), policy, and administrative staff. We are currently recruiting for several coalition coordinator positions and an administrative position. To learn more, please see job postings on HIPHI’s website: www.hiphi.org/employment. Recently HIPHI was selected as an AmeriCorps VISTA intermediary site as of September, and we are actively seeking two Special Project Coordinators. We were also excited to assist in convening the statewide CHW Association’s Conference – Growing in Strength, this past July. It was a jam-packed day with nearly 200 CHWs and allies learning and networking. To read more about the CHW Association Conference, please see the CHW Association article and website: hichw.org.

Looking ahead, please save the date for the Annual Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Hawai‘i Stakeholder meeting. This year’s event will be held on Tuesday, November 15, from 9:00 – 4:00 at Ko‘olau Ballrooms. A draft agenda and registration link will be sent out soon. At our stakeholder meeting, we will be recognizing champions in tobacco prevention and control. Please help us recognize the deserving and hard-working partners in tobacco prevention and control by nominating them for an Alaka‘i Award! The categories are below.

All nominees must have the following characteristics:

• Demonstrated a record of consistent excellence in tobacco control;
• Served as exemplars and role models to others in the tobacco prevention and control movement;
• Demonstrated initiative toward innovative, creative approaches to tobacco control;
• No affiliation with the tobacco industry and does not currently receive funding from the tobacco industry.

Award Categories

• Outstanding Advocate Award – Awarded to a youth or adult, who has been an outstanding advocate for a tobacco-free Hawai‘i and who has demonstrated leadership, effective creativity or innovation.  Or, who has made significant and well-recognized contributions to tobacco control efforts in Hawai‘i and has inspired others in mobilizing the community to further the goals of tobacco prevention and control.
• ‘A‘a Award – Awarded to an individual who has made an outstanding personal contribution of volunteer time or given financial support to the Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Hawai’i.
• Kanalu Award – Awarded to an individual who is new to tobacco control and has made an outstanding contribution to furthering tobacco control efforts.
• Outstanding Service Provider Award (Individual) – Awarded to an individual whose attention has been focused on issues associated with tobacco use and has demonstrated an impact on tobacco control through extensive and outstanding service.
• Outstanding Service Provider Award (Organization) – Awarded to an organization focused on issues associated with tobacco use and has demonstrated an impact on tobacco control through extensive and outstanding service.
• Outstanding Community Partner Award – Awarded to an individual, organization or agency that has been an instrumental partner in moving our work forward. They must demonstrate competency and have helped to advance our work in one or more of the following areas: such as decreasing youth initiation of tobacco use, increasing tobacco cessation, reducing exposure to secondhand smoke and or reducing disparities in tobacco use, or been instrumental in passing policies. 
• Outstanding Media Champion Award – Awarded to a media spokesperson or organization that has made a significant contribution to the coverage of tobacco prevention and control issues in print, radio, or broadcast media 

There is no limit to the number of nominations you can submit, but please send them in by Friday,  October 7, 2022. Submit your nominations at www.surveymonkey.com/r/alakai2022.

As always, we appreciate your support and dedication to public health and look forward to the work ahead.
With Aloha,

Jessica Yamauchi, MA
Chief Executive Officer