All content pulled from Hawaiʻi Community Health Worker Association, April Newsletter. This month, we highlight  Genevieve De Rego , a passionate community health worker and mother serving as a Social Service Navigator at Vibrant Hawai’i on Hawai’i Island. Before entering community health work, she spent over twenty years as a professional photographer, an experience that sharpened her ability to listen, read nonverbal cues, and help people feel seen and at ease. Genevieve al

Applications are now open for KōCreate: ʻOAKA—and with the April 17 deadline quickly approaching, now is the time for Hawaiʻi Island students to take the next step in their leadership journey. KōCreate: ʻOAKA is a two-year civic leadership and workforce development pathway designed specifically for current high school sophomores entering their junior year in the Fall of 2026 , creating the opportunity to grow alongside a cohort while building skills, experience, and confidenc

Over the past six months, 28 individuals from across Hawaiʻi Island made a commitment—to step forward, lean in, and take a more active role in shaping the future of their communities. Through KōCreate: Designing Homegrown Futures, a Vibrant Hawaiʻi initiative supported by the Trust for Civic Life, this group—known as KōCreators—spent time building both the skills and relationships needed to move ideas into action. Their work centered on priorities that continue to surface acr

Hawaiʻi Island — After receiving more than 9,500 applications this year, Vibrant Hawaiʻi is looking for partners to lead distribution sites in Hāmākua, Honokaʻa, Kailua-Kona, Keaʻau, North Hilo, North Kohala, Nā‘ālehu, Ocean View, Pāhala, Puna Makai, Puna Mauka, South Hilo, South Kona, Waimea, Waikoloa, and Volcano. Community organizations, schools, churches, nonprofit organizations, and informal neighborhood groups are all encouraged to apply. Previous experience is not requ

Vibrant Hawaiʻi is now accepting nominations for The Best and The Brightest, a storytelling initiative that highlights Hawaiʻi Island ʻōpio (ages 16–24) who are choosing to build their future right here at home.   This quarter, community members are encouraged to nominate an ʻōpio whose leadership is demonstrated through service and advocacy for Hawaiʻi Island — whether through organizing, volunteering, or speaking up for issues that matter to their generation.   For Hawaiʻ

When the Kona Low storm brought heavy rains, flooding, and widespread power outages across Hawaiʻi Island, communities responded immediately—demonstrating what is possible when preparation, trusted relationships, and coordinated systems are already in place. Through Aloha In Action, Vibrant Hawaiʻi worked alongside Resilience Hubs, partners, and volunteers to deliver rapid, community-led response across the island. Ice and water distributions were activated in Pāhoa and Hawai

Vibrant Hawaiʻi is preparing for the return of Kaukau 4 Keiki , part of the USDA Summer Food Service Program serving Hawaiʻi Island from June 22 through July 31. As the sponsor agency for Hawaiʻi County, Vibrant Hawaiʻi coordinates an islandwide network of partner sites to ensure keiki have access to nutritious meals while school is out of session. This summer, the program will provide breakfast and lunch supplies for approximately 10,000 keiki  over six weeks.   To support t

When emergencies happen, our communities don’t wait—they respond. The question is: are we ready?   The Vibrant Hawaiʻi Resilience Conference is a two-day, in-person training designed to ensure that when the next disaster impacts our island, more people are equipped with the skills, coordination, and confidence to take action.   Community leaders, volunteers, health professionals, nonprofit teams, faith-based organizations, and business partners will come together to prepare—n

Across the summer, Vibrant Hawaiʻi’s Youth Resilience Academies created meaningful opportunities for young people to build practical skills, deepen their connection to place, and strengthen their ability to respond during times of disruption. Hosted at sites across Hawaiʻi Island and led by Vibrant Hawaiʻi Ambassadors, these multi-day learning experiences engaged more than 60 youth ages 12–18, offering hands-on training rooted in real-world needs and community realities. The

This year, the ʻOAKA Youth Art Fellowship brought together 12 emerging artists from across Hawaiʻi Island, creating a space where young creatives could learn, experiment, and build confidence in their artistic identities. Led by Seb Choe, the fellowship was intentionally designed as an implementation of Vibrant Hawaiʻi’s Economic Development Strategy, which identified the creative and performing arts as a critical driver of community well-being, workforce opportunity, and a r

This fall, when a federal government shutdown and temporary pause of SNAP benefits created sudden strain for households across Hawaiʻi Island, communities responded with speed, coordination, and care. Through Aloha In Action , Vibrant Hawaiʻi worked alongside partners to coordinate an islandwide network of food distributions focused on residents most affected by the disruption. Beginning in late October, 12 community distribution sites launched across Kona, North Hawaiʻi, the

In 2025, Vibrant Hawaiʻi launched KōCreate: Designing Homegrown Futures , a new initiative advancing community-led leadership and decision-making across Hawaiʻi Island. Supported by the Trust for Civic Life , KōCreate is grounded in the belief that residents already carry the insight, relationships, and lived experience needed to shape solutions for their own places. As CEO Janice Ikeda  shared, “When community members are supported to organize and take action together, the s

This fall, residents across Hawaiʻi Island brought to life the first-ever Vibrant Hawaiʻi Day , a community-driven initiative designed to strengthen local relationships and encourage neighbor-to-neighbor care. Inspired by National Good Neighbor Day, the effort provided small, flexible mini-grants that allowed individuals, families, and groups to design projects responsive to the needs and culture of their own places. Interest exceeded expectations. More than 150 resident-led

In September, Vibrant Hawaiʻi launched the second cohort of Hui Hānai Ka Moku, continuing a community-led effort to strengthen food security, support food rescue, and build long-term emergency readiness across Hawaiʻi Island. The initiative is carried out in partnership with Nā Kālai Waʻa and The Healy Foundation, grounding food systems work in both cultural practice and practical application. This year’s cohort brought together ten community-based groups from across the isla

Each summer, Kaukau 4 Keiki  ensures that Hawaiʻi Island’s keiki continue to have reliable access to nutritious food when school meal programs are unable to operate. While nearly 13,000 children  receive free or reduced-price meals during the school year, many schools cannot extend these services into the summer due to staffing limitations and logistical constraints. Kaukau 4 Keiki addresses this gap by providing weekly meal kits to children across the island, including in ru

In June, Hawaiʻi broadened its readiness for disaster response by expanding access to Psychological First Aid (PFA)—a practical, evidence-informed approach that helps people offer calm, steady support in the immediate aftermath of a disruptive event. Vibrant Hawaiʻi facilitated Psychological First Aid (MVI-PFA) Instructor training for first responders, mental health professionals, and community members, building a stronger local network equipped to support neighbors, coworker

Now in its fourth year, the Resilience Hub Summit has become a cornerstone convening for communities working to strengthen Hawaiʻi’s readiness before, during, and after disasters. This year’s summit brought together community leaders, emergency managers, government partners, and sector experts from across the state to deepen relationships and expand the operational capacity of the Resilience Hub Network—a growing movement rooted in local leadership and shared responsibility.

Launched at the beginning of 2025, Vibrant Hawaiʻi’s ʻIliahikū  program set out to strengthen pathways between education, workforce, and community, supporting youth and young adults as they build skills, confidence, and clarity about their futures. Over the course of the year, ʻIliahikū developed into a connected framework that links hands-on learning, mentorship, and exposure to opportunity across Hawaiʻi Island. Named after Ka ʻIliahi Kū Hoʻoilina o Keawe —the lasting fragr

This year, Vibrant Hawaiʻi supported the completion of 358 First Aid, CPR, and AED certifications , delivered by a network of 30 locally based instructors  across Hawaiʻi Island. By bringing training directly into neighborhoods, workplaces, and gathering spaces, these efforts expanded access to essential life-saving skills and ensured help is closer when it matters most. The urgency of this work is grounded in proximity and timing. As Niki Vergara of Hilo Medical Center , who

Across Hawaiʻi Island and Koʻolau, residents strengthened local disaster readiness through the development of seven community-based chainsaw teams . Certification courses held throughout the year built a coordinated network of 56 chainsaw felling and safety trained members , prepared to respond when storms, high winds, or fallen trees block access to homes, roads, and essential services. Led by Justin Barrios of Backyard Monkey , participants gained practical instruction in c

Throughout 2025, the Koʻolau Resilience Hub Network  continued to expand its capacity, deepen relationships, and advance place-based resilience efforts across the region. Building on the momentum of the Koʻolau Resilience Hub Network Symposium held in December 2024, residents, partners, and local leaders aligned around shared priorities and a coordinated approach to preparedness and response. Over the course of the year, the network delivered a series of workshops and hands-o

In 2025, Vibrant Hawaiʻi continued to strengthen a network of 20 Resilience Hub partners spanning every district of Hawaiʻi Island. These community-led hubs advance local preparedness through Community Emergency Action Plans (CEAPs) rooted in No ʻAneʻi —“We Belong Here”—and guided by place, stewardship, and shared responsibility. Each CEAP translates island-wide emergency systems into clear, locally actionable plans shaped by the realities of each community. In North Kohala,

In a year marked by growing demand for healthcare access and public benefits support, Vibrant Hawaiʻi’s Social Service Navigator program demonstrated that community-based service delivery is not only effective, but essential. By supporting community-based Navigators and aligning them with healthcare and human services systems, Vibrant Hawaiʻi reduced access barriers, increased successful enrollments, and strengthened coordination across the island. The program’s outcomes show

Since September, Vibrant Hawaiʻi’s KōCreate cohort has been gathering each month to strengthen the relationships, skills, and shared practices that help communities move from concern to coordinated action. KōCreate’s goal is simple and ambitious: support local leaders to design projects that are rooted in place, shaped by community priorities, and capable of building lasting civic participation across Hawaiʻi Island.   To date, our 28 KōCreators, 3 VH Ambassadors, and facilit