Third round of Puna Strong grant recipients announced

Hawai‘i County and the Hawai‘i Community Foundation are excited to announce the third round of Puna Strong grant recipients.

Grants ranging from $50,000 to $75,000 for an 18-month period were awarded to 10 organizations:

• Arts & Sciences Center: Beyond School Community Learning.
• Equality HI: Cooking for Resiliency, Moving from Neighbors to ‘Ohana.
• Hawaiʻi Animal Kuleana Alliance: HAKA’s emergency rescue and disaster preparedness programs.
• Hawaiian Volcano Education and Resilience Institute: Disaster preparedness, outreach and sustainability support.
• Hawaiʻi’s Volcano Circus: Startup and realignment for community resilience.
• Hoʻoulu Lāhui: Planning for long-term resilience.
• Men of Paʻa: Resilience and Sustainability — Charting a Path to Recovery.
• Nā Maka Hāloa O Waipiʻo: Kūkulu Kaiāulu, Hawaiian Culture, Language and History.
• ‘O Maku‘u Ke Kahua Community Center: Māla Hoʻoulu ʻIke at ʻO Makuʻu Ke Kahua Community Center.
• Pōhaku Pelemaka: Community-based stewardship management, Hawaiian culture, language and/or history.

“Each grant recipient was carefully chosen for their commitment to supporting and strengthening the long-term resilience of the Puna community,” said Hawai‘i Community Foundation Program Officer Chelsey Chow. “Since the inception of Puna Strong, grantee partners have developed their own capacity and the network of organizations across Puna has been strengthened.”

Puna Strong remains focused on disaster readiness and building resilience for the Puna communities impacted by the 2018 Kīlauea eruption with a $608,000 investment in nonprofit organizations and partnerships leading community-driven projects and building the capacity of local organizations.

“The fact that we are now in the third round of grants is a testament to the tremendous success of this program,” said Hawai‘i County Mayor Mitch Roth. “Our ongoing partnership with [the Hawai‘i Community Foundation] continues to be a source of pride for our county. These grants empower local Puna organizations and contribute to their impactful work with our residents.”

The first two rounds of grants supported the work of more than two dozen organizations that addressed a range of issues important to the community, including mental health, home and community food production, youth development, cultural grounding, environmental protection, educational opportunities, access to community-focused information and readiness to respond to community emergencies/disasters.

For more information about the Puna Strong grant program or other available grants, click here.