Hawaiʻi e-news

SEPTEMBER 2022

Grantees work to prevent incarceration for people without housing on Maui
Weinberg-funded effort in Hawai'i joins national network to improve access to employment
New faces at the Weinberg Foundation
$1.2 million in recent Hawai'i grants announced

Grantees work to prevent incarceration for people without housing on Maui

With the help of a $250,000 grant from the Weinberg Foundation, Mental Health Kokua (MHK) acquired state and county resources that helped expand the state’s Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) program in central Maui and Lahaina, Maui. This program works to prevent incarceration for people with mental illness who are also without housing by connecting them with social services. MHK has partnered with the Maui County Police Department, the State Department of Health, and Ka Hale A Ke Ola—another grantee—in this pursuit.

Weinberg-funded effort in Hawai'i joins national network to improve access to employment

The National Fund for Workforce Solutions invited the Hawai'i Workforce Funders Collaborative to join its network, enabling this new effort to further advance its mission of increasing opportunity for Hawai'i’s workforce and strengthening the local economy. Launched by the Weinberg Foundation in partnership with the Harold K.L. Castle Foundation, Hawai'i Community Foundation, and Hawai'i Medical Service Association, the collaborative aims to ensure all residents have equitable access to living-wage jobs. The Hawai'i collaborative is the only active collaborative of the network’s 34 regional collaboratives to represent an entire state.

The Weinberg Foundation is continuing to grow! This summer, the Foundation expanded its real estate team. Boris Sztorch joined the Hawaiʿi office as a part-time analyst. Also in the Hawaiʿi office, Kevin Nishida joined the IT team as senior information technology specialist.

Last month, in Baltimore, Arin Gencer began her role as senior communications director. As previously announced, she will succeed Chief Communications Officer Craig Demchak, who will retire on October 31.

$1.2 million in recent Hawai’i grants announced

The Weinberg Foundation recently approved $1.2 million in Hawai’i-based grants, including housing support for families of survivors of domestic violence and for people experiencing homelessness; increased access to community services for older adults and people with disabilities; and financial counseling and services.