Promoting Health Across Hawai‘i Island
Hawai‘i Island has been a leader in protecting its citizens from secondhand smoke and its youth from a lifetime of tobacco addiction. It led the state in making its beaches tobacco-free and also in raising its age of sale to purchase tobacco products to 21. Due to the size of the island, we have a coordinator working on the east side of the island and one working on the west side. Our coordinators work in coalitions to promote Healthy Eating + Active Living (HEAL) and to reduce tobacco use (Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Hawai‘i).
Coalitions Working For A Healthier Hawai‘i Island.
Tobacco-Free Hawai‘i Island
Tobacco-Free Hawai’i Island is a community-based alliance made up of agencies, businesses, and individuals from all over Hawai’i Island dedicated to collaborating with one another to reduce tobacco use and the negative impact it has on Big Island residents.
Our mission is to provide resources that inspire our diverse communities to reduce tobacco use and exposure.
We have been an active and vibrant coalition since March 2003. We continue to grow year after year, adding new partners and expanding our vision to reduce the health, environmental, and financial burdens of tobacco use for our island. Join our passionate group of individuals and organizations focused on eliminating health disparities in our community through health awareness, education, advocacy, and promotion of tobacco-free living. If you’d like to join the TFHI coalition please visit our TFHI informational flyer.
Healthy Eating + Active Living Hawaiʻi Island
Hawai’i Island’s Healthy Eating + Active Living (HEAL) coordinators collaborate with the many organizations working on access to healthy food, built environment, and worksite wellness strategies and programs to foster advancements in making Hawai’i Island a healthier place to live, work, and play. Coordinators are active in many hui including: Hawai’i Island Food Alliance, Mayor’s Active Living Advisory Council, Hilo Bayfront Trails, Hawai’i Island Chamber of Commerce, Hawaii Island Rural Health Association, Hawai’i Agriculture Partnership, Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce Health & Wellness Committee, and many others.
Meet Our Coordinators
Sally has been the East Hawai‘i Coalition Coordinator since September 2010 and was a member of Tobacco-Free Hawai’i Island from its inception in 2003. She holds a B.A. from the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo and has been instrumental in linking programs, internships and research projects with a variety of UH Hilo undergraduate and professional degree disciplines. She is the current president of the Hawai’i Island Rural Health Association which is the Hawai’i Island Chapter of the HSRHA. She previously oversaw the American Lung Association of Hawai’i – Hawai’i Island branch and brings a wealth of experience in tobacco prevention and control and has spearheaded policy and systems changes in the areas of tobacco control, active living, and multi-modal transportation on Hawai’i Island.
Lisa has been part of the Big Island community for three years, and has enveloped herself in island food security from the beginning. After a year’s AmeriCorps service as a food security advocate, Lisa worked as Outreach Coordinator for the Hawai’i Island Food Alliance and was a key member in the partnership team that developed a plan for the Kōkua Harvest gleaning project (which she now runs). She brings diverse experience with marketing, community networking, local food production and distribution, as well as a background in the coordination of food donations and waste programs with volunteers. Lisa has an educational background in film and video production which she leverages to assist her in outreach and promotion, focusing on environmental and public health awareness issues.
Hawai‘i Island School Garden Network (HISGN)
The goal of the Hawaiʻi Island School Garden Network (HISGN) is to help island schools build gardening and agricultural programs that will significantly contribute to the increased consumption of locally produced food by involving students, their school communities, and their family networks in food production.
The Kohala Center established HISGN in September 2007 in response to the Island of Hawaiʻi food system report prepared by the Rocky Mountain Institute in 2007, which identifies the development and promotion of school gardens as an initiative that can substantially contribute to the development of a strong local food economy while helping youth with increased opportunities for health-promoting exercise and nutrition.
HISGN works with more than 60 of Hawai‘i Island’s public, charter, and private schools, assisting garden leaders, school faculty, and administrators in the creation and implementation of gardening and agricultural programs. The work of HISGN includes identification of funding opportunities and local agricultural resources, volunteer development, curriculum development, and professional development for garden and classroom teachers. Networking opportunities and events bring this important work to the community.
Join One (Or All) Of Our Hawai‘i Island Community Coalitions
Policy change begins in communities. We have seen that many times in Hawai‘i. A policy is passed by a town or county, another island follows, and then the policy is enacted statewide. This makes local coalitions especially important and impactful. Interested in promoting policy change that advances health? Work with a small, but dedicated team of passionate advocates to reduce tobacco use (CTFH), to promote healthy eating and active living (HEAL), and/or to strengthen Hawaii’s statewide farm to school and school garden movement (Farm to School Hui).