Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 29, Number 12, 1 December 2012 — OHA leaders meet with Hawaiʻi Island stakeholders [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

OHA leaders meet with Hawaiʻi Island stakeholders

By Harold Nedd WAIMEA, HAWAI'I ISLAND — Charter schools, housing stability and the fight against obesity were at the center of discussions during an Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Trustees community meeting that drew an estimated 50 people. Hosted by Hawai'i Island Trustee Robert Lindsey Jr., the Oct. 24 meeting at Kanu o ka 'Āina New Century Puhlie Charter School in Waimea, attracted representatives from 12 Hawai-ian-focused puhlie charter schools who appealed to OHA for continued hnaneial support. Since 2005, OHA has committed more than $9.6 million to charter schools that make up the 17-member Nā Lei Na'auao Allianee, whieh enrolls more than 4,000 students statewide. "Please continue to believe in us as we believe in our students as well as the journey we're on," said Susan Osborne, an administrator at Kua o Ka Lā a 250-student charter school in Puna that is a

member of the allianee. In testimony during the threehour meeting, Patrick Hurney, executive director of Habitat for Humanity West Hawai'i, praised OHA for contributing $100,000 to the nonprofit group's efforts to build five, three-bedroom homes in Kona for low-ineome Hawaiian families who work on their homes, then pay for them with nointerest loans. Since 2006, OHA has poured more than $1.8 million into Habitat for Humanity's efforts to help improve housing stability for Hawaiian families statewide. "OHA was the largest sponsor of our building blitz at La'i 'Ōpua in Kona, where volunteers built five homes in 10 days for Hawaiian families," Hurney said. Among other community partners to offer comments was Claren Kealoha Beaudet, director of behavioral health for the Kaheleaulani Native Hawaiian Health Clinic at North Hawai'i Hospital, who praised OHA for a $245,000 grant to help curb obesity. An estimated 100 Native Hawaiians are expected to benefit over the next two years from the program whose features include an assigned nutritionist for all participants. It comes at a time when OHA is investing more than $1 million within the next two years in a statewide heahh initiative aimed at helping Hawaiians fight the uphill battle to maintain a healthy weight. ■

Maulili Dickson, president of the Waimea Hawaiian Civic Club, spoke at the community meeting in Waimea. Seated attable, from left, are OHATrustee Oswald, Stender, board counsel Robert Klein, OHA Chairperson Colette Machado, Hawai'i lsland Trustee Robert Lindsey, Trustee Haunani Apoliona, Trustee John Waihe'e and OHA C00 Aedward Los Banos. - Photo: Aliee Silbanuz