At Neighborhood Place of Puna, we believe strong families build strong communities.
That belief is behind our newest initiatives serving East Hawaiʻi: the Family & Youth Street Outreach Program and the Neighborhood Place Resource Centers in Hilo and Keaʻau. These programs expand the work many of you already know us for, including Hale ʻIki Family Assessment Center and our Mobile Family Resource Center.
Together, they create a more connected, housing-focused system of care for families and youth across our community.
Let’s walk through what that means.
A Welcoming Place to Turn: Neighborhood Place Resource Centers
The Neighborhood Place Resource Centers (NPRC) bring together the strengths of our former Family Resource Center, Anchor Point Youth Center, and Coordination Center into one coordinated system focused on housing stability, concrete support, and connection.
We now operate two locations serving East Hawaiʻi in Hilo and Keaʻau.
Neighborhood Place Resource Center – Hilo
Safe Resting Place & Youth Center
Our Hilo location is a welcoming, safe resting place for both families and transitional-age youth (14–25). It also includes a dedicated Youth Center, continuing the work of Anchor Point Youth Center.
At the Hilo center, families and youth can:
- Access Wi-Fi and charging stations
- Use phone and communication services
- Receive food and basic necessities
- Get help with applications and documentation
- Participate in life skills workshops
For youth and young adults, the designated Youth Center offers:
- A safe, supportive environment
- Trusted adults who genuinely care
- Support with school, employment, and life transitions
- Housing and resource navigation
It’s a space where young people can exhale, feel seen, and begin planning their next steps.
Address: 1407 Kapiʻolani St, Hilo, HI 96720
Hours:
Monday: 11:30 AM – 4:00 PM
Tuesday – Friday: 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM
Call or Text: (808) 501-1413
Email: wehelp@neighborhoodplace.org
Neighborhood Place Resource Center – Keaʻau
Family-Focused Drop-In & Grab-and-Go Support
Our Keaʻau location continues the strong foundation of our Family Resource Center. This space is designed specifically for families with young children.
Here, families can quickly access:
- Diapers and baby supplies
- Hygiene products
- Parenting support and guidance
- Help with applications and referrals
Transitional-age youth are always welcome and can be connected to youth-focused services in Hilo as needed.
Address: 16-105 ʻOpukahaʻia Street, Keaʻau, HI 96749
Hours:
Monday: 11:30 AM – 4:00 PM
Tuesday – Friday: 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM
Phone: 808-965-5550
Meeting Families and Youth Where They Are
Our new Family & Youth Street Outreach Program focuses on unsheltered families with minor children and unaccompanied youth ages 14–25 in East Hawaiʻi, honoring their dignity and strengthening connections across the East side of Moku O Keawe.
Our outreach team is in the community at least four times per week, meeting families and youth where they are — in parks, encampments, and other outdoor locations — offering care, consistency, and respect.
During each encounter, we:
- Conduct assessments
- Provide referrals to shelter, health care, and housing programs
- Distribute food, drinks, hygiene kits, and essential supplies
- Assist with vital documents like birth certificates and state IDs
- Begin housing-focused conversations
- Enroll participants into the coordinated county system of care
Guided by the spirit of ʻohana and community, our outreach team focuses on building genuine connections with community members, fostering trust and rapport so that every encounter feels safe, valued, and culturally grounded. Through these relationships, we aim to honor the dignity of those we serve and uplift the strength of our local communities.
Continuing the Work You Know and Trust
These new programs build on the strong foundation of services we’ve long provided across Hawaiʻi Island, and the services our community already trusts.
Through the Hale ʻIki Family Assessment Center, we continue to provide emergency shelter for families with children experiencing homelessness.
Our Mobile Family Resource Center continues bringing diapers, supplies, and parenting support directly into neighborhoods across East Hawaiʻi, ensuring geography is never a barrier to connection. New! Check out our Calendar to stay updated on the upcoming locations of the Mobile Family Resource Center and find out where we’ll be next! We regularly update our events, so make sure to check back often to see our latest locations and how you can connect with us.
Now, with the addition of the Family & Youth Street Outreach Program and the Neighborhood Place Resource Centers, we are deepening our impact in East Hawaiʻi, focusing specifically on unsheltered families and youth, and strengthening the pathway from crisis to housing stability.
If you or someone you know is going through a tough time, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Whether it’s housing support, supplies for your keiki, help with documents, or just a safe place to talk things through, we’re here. Walk into one of our Resource Centers, give us a call, or send a text. Support starts with a simple step, and we’re ready to take it with you.