[CANCELED] Hui Māla ‘Ai Fundraiser

Aloha valued donors and supporters,

Due to the recent emergency situation with the Maui wildfires and the subsequent recovery efforts, we have made the difficult decision to cancel the Hui Māla ‘Ai Fundraiser Dinner on September 23, 2023. The overwhelming need to pivot and respond to this crisis demands our immediate attention. In alignment with several other organizations, leaders, and individuals in the state, we at Hui Māla ‘Ai (Food Garden Hui) are responsible for supporting affected communities in their time of need.

While we regret the cancellation of the fundraiser, assure you that our commitment to creating positive change remains unwavering. We at Hui Māla ‘Ai strongly believe in the importance of building community food gardens to promote sustainable food sources and foster a sense of togetherness.

In light of this, we plan to allocate the funds originally intended for the event to support at least two local projects on Maui, as well as pilot several others within Honolulu County, with a focus on establishing community food gardens in areas that need technical and hands-on support. By doing so, we aim to provide long-term solutions for Hawai‘i’s communities by creating a blueprint on Maui that will be shared across the state in hopes to continue funding 1,000 food gardens.

If you’d like to support these efforts or have questions regarding the canceled event, please contact Roella Foronda at roella@hiphi.org. Mahalo for your understanding. Together we can navigate these challenging times and emerge stronger than ever before.

Hui Māla ʻAi, composed of dedicated partners including the Hawaiʻi Public Health Institute (HIPHI), the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement (CNHA), the Philippine Consulate in Hawaiʻi, Knights of Rizal Maysa Ohana Chapter, City and County of Honolulu and other dedicated stakeholders, propose an approach to increasing healthy food access in our community. Our vision is to promote and expand gardening for health. We believe that providing the opportunities to create food gardens in the home, in the community, and in schools can help bridge the gap in consumption of local fruits and vegetables.  By empowering households to grow what they eat and eat what they grow, we can make a difference in the lives of so many who have limited access to fresh local food.

We have started with two gardens at the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement and the Keahumoa Parkway. Through these two gardens, we have delivered over 2,500 bundles of fresh produce (sweet potato leaves, ong choy, bok choy, green onions, radishes, turnips, carrots, and herbs among others) in three months to supplement ongoing food distribution by Reality Honolulu at the Princess Ruth Middle School in Honolulu. Each month, we are able to supply more than a hundred vulnerable families with additional fruits and vegetables that they cannot afford. More importantly, we are able to mobilize volunteers, among them youth, to join us in reconnecting to ā‘ina (land). We know that with your help we can do more.