We are honored and grateful to share some important news with our community. On Friday, January 31, 2025, the Hawai‘i County Council passed Resolution 46-25, approving much-needed funding for nonprofit organizations dedicated to addressing housing and homelessness. Thanks to this, Neighborhood Place of Puna has been selected as one of the awardees of the 2025 Homelessness and Housing Fund (HHF) Award grant! This support means everything to us because it allows us to continue serving our Hawai‘i Island families and individuals who need it most.
We want to take a moment to extend our deepest appreciation to the council members who voted “YES” to pass the resolution and recognized the importance of this funding. Mahalo to:
- Jenn Kagiwada
- Ashley Kierkiewicz
- Heather Kimball
- Michelle Galimba
- Dennis “Fresh” Onishi
- James Hustace
Your trust in us and commitment to our community ensure that we can continue providing life-changing services. Because of you, families experiencing hardship will have access to stable housing, essential resources, and compassionate support. This funding ensures that our services continue without interruption, making a tangible difference in the lives of individuals and families in need. We are ready to roll up our sleeves and keep going.
NPP Programs Funded by HHF
Neighborhood Place of Puna offers four key programs aimed at ending homelessness in our community. Funded by HHF, these initiatives support Hawaiʻi County’s efforts to address homelessness on Hawaiʻi Island. Our programs include:
- Homeless Engagement Team
- The Coordination Center
- ʻOhana Homelessness Prevention & Support Program
- Anchor Point Youth Center – Coming February 2025!
A Future Where Everyone Thrives
We envision a community where every person has a safe and stable home, and where families can thrive. With this funding, we’ll be expanding and strengthening our programs to serve more people, offering support where it’s needed most.
From our frontline staff working directly with participants in the field and over the phone, to our administrative and data team ensuring smooth operations, every single person on our team plays a vital role in making this mission possible. We are real people, serving real people — with dignity, respect, and aloha. Every person matters, and we are honored to serve alongside leaders and community members who share in this vision of a Hawai‘i Island where everyone has a home and the opportunity to thrive.
Our Commitment: Integrity, Compassion, Community, and Perseverance
At Neighborhood Place of Puna, we hold a deep responsibility to serve with compassion, respect, and dedication. This grant will allow us to expand our reach, improve our programs, and offer more support to those who are struggling. Our mission has always been to walk alongside families in need, empowering them to overcome challenges and build brighter futures.
At the heart of everything we do are our four core values:
- Integrity – We believe that Integrity should guide everything that we do. Integrity is the root of our actions, projects, and collaborations as well as Neighborhood Place of Puna itself, in honesty, transparency, responsibility, and justice.
- Compassion – Compassion is the Work. Compassion is grace, love and joy all rolled together. We believe that the compassionate response to others is profoundly human. Compassion affirms our mutual connectedness and overcomes “othering” through radical acceptance and understanding.
- Community – Community is at the very Heart of Neighborhood Place of Puna’s mission. We believe that Thriving and Just communities are built and sustained through collaborative action nurtured by strong relationships with colleagues, partners, and adversaries.
- Perseverance – We believe that creating thriving communities rooted in the compassionate response to suffering requires unwavering perseverance in the pursuit of Justice through the implementation of bold, audacious solutions.
Transparency and integrity are more than words – they guide our decision-making processes. We have always operated with honesty and a deep sense of duty to those we serve. We are honored to continue this work, guided by leaders who care and lead by example.
We know that lasting change doesn’t happen alone. Whether you support us through advocacy, volunteering, donations, or simply spreading awareness, you are part of this movement to create a stronger, more compassionate community.
Mahalo nui loa for standing with us and believing in our mission. We are humbled by this opportunity to continue serving, and we will never stop working toward a Hawai‘i Island where all people have a safe place to call home.
For more information about the impact we made in 2024, check out this blog post or the 2024 Year in Review graphic below!
