
our story


2019 June - July
The SAM group convened community sessions in Hilo, Puna, Waimea, Kona, and Kaʻū. Participants at each convening represented business, philanthropy, government, education, social services, faith communities, and community-based champions. Participants shared their vision of a vibrant Hawaiʻi and established a baseline score of its current state.

2018
Informed by the Aloha United Way ALICE Report, a Small and Mighty (SAM) group of Hawaiʻi Island community change leaders came together to learn more about the Collective Impact Model as a strategy process to achieve
social, educational, and economic wellness. The SAM group met with over 30 community leaders and participated in network meetings to learn what was being done to achieve collective impact on Hawaiʻi island.
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2019 AUGUST
A Leadership Council was formed, comprised of representatives from the community convenings. The Leadership Council synthesized community ideas and created the Vibrant Hawaiʻi Grounding Statement to guide how we demonstrate the values of a vibrant Hawaiʻi and established Streams as strategies to realize our vision of a Vibrant Hawaiʻi.

2019 September 27
Vibrant Hawaiʻi officially launched with 200 residents from all districts and sectors of Hawaiʻi Island committed to collective action toward a common vision of a vibrant Hawaiʻi.
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2020
In immediate response to the Coronavirus pandemic, Vibrant Hawaiʻi established a digital resource hub, providing timely dissemination of information through its online channels.
VIBRANT VISION: EQUITABLE ACCESS TO RESOURCES
Within 10-days of the initial shutdown, Vibrant Hawaiʻi led a community-driven mask distribution campaign, and over the next 8 months provided 472,400 surgical and cloth masks to communities and individuals who would not have had the means to obtain a mask otherwise.
VIBRANT VISION: HEALTH, ACCESS TO HEALTH RESOURCES
With a $1,700,000 award from the County of Hawaiʻi CARES, established a network of resilience hubs that collectively served 41,733 households and 108,214 individuals with restaurant prepared meals, access to laptops and wifi, and programming to build community resilience.
VIBRANT VISION: BELONGING, THRIVING COMMUNITY, EQUITABLE ACCESS TO RESOURCES
With a $300,000 award from the County of Hawaiʻi CARES, invested in our community's capacity to deliver mental health services and support. Graduated 46 instructors in Mental Health First Aid and over 300 community members received certification in Mental Health First Aid. Held 50 community based workshops in partnership with KAHA which focused on Trauma Informed Care, Adverse and Benevolent Childhood Experiences and Cultural and Historical Trauma and reached 779 community members.
VIBRANT VISION: WELLBEING, ACCESS TO HEALTH RESOURCES
Vibrant Hawaiʻi moves to establish itself as a non-profit organizations, governed by a Board of Directors.
Download our 2020 Impact Report