Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 28, Number 4, 1 April 2011 — On Hawaiʻi Island, helping Hawaiian families T.H.R.I.V.E [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

On Hawaiʻi Island, helping Hawaiian families T.H.R.I.V.E

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It's all adding up to building stronger foundations - in small business and education - for the 20 Native Hawaiians who received assistance from Hawai'i First Federal Credit Union's hnaneial sustainability program, known as the Office of Hawaiian Affairs Individual Development Accounts program. The success of the OHA IDA program has spread beyond the 20 beneficiaries - it's infectiously made its way through families and communities, and has even been recognized nationwide. "At the time we started the OHA IDA there was nothing like it in Hawai'i that we knew of," says Alycia Juvik, HFFCU's Community Development Director. "And because of the success of the program, other programs just like it have started in Native American counties throughout the nation." This model of success began with HFFCU's search for an answer to better serve the community and to remedy an increasing number of families facing hnaneial hardship due to the eeonomie crash, laek of assets and hnaneial knowledge. HFFCU decided that Individual Development Accounts wouldbe the first step in breaking down barriers to asset-building and creating a healthier economy. "Our CEO Laura Aguirre saw IDAs as an approach for people to attain sustainability, but after research we realized that there was so mueh more than

just the IDA and there needed to be a support system," says Juvik. "So that's when we really complemented the IDAs with the (Hawai'i \ First Federal Community) Resource Center in Waimea. Here we W are able to provide them with hnaneial counseling, one-on-one mentorship, helping them eome up with an action plan or business plan." As a Native Community Development Financial Institution, HFFCU has been serving the financially underserved Native Hawaiian populahon on the Big Island since 1956. HFFCU promotes socioeconomic development in struggling areas and has played a critical role in building hnaneial relationships with Hawaii Island's Native Hawaiian community. With a plan in plaee, HFFCU reached out to the Office of Hawaiian \ffairs for a grant that would provide funding for its IDA program. Upon

approval, the OHA Individual Development Accounts programprovided 20 Native Hawaiians assistance in achieving their goals of continued education or small-business creation. "This is our first time that an organization believed in us enough to support us," says Juvik. "OHA took that leap and it's because of them that all these families are thriving." The program kicked off January 2009 and applicants who met the requirements were given six to 12 months to save $1,000 of their own money. Eaeh worked toward that goal by making regularly set deposits, getting hnaneial education and hnaneial counseling, learning about small-business development and mueh more. "Basically they tell us what their goal is and we help get them to where they want to be," says Juvik. "If it's for small business we help them with smallbusiness development, we help them write an exit strategy and a business plan. We help them with marketing strategies. And they ean even run their business from the resource center while they're still getting on their feet. "For education we help them apply for hnaneial aid and scholarships. It's providing them with support for their asset goal. We help them through that process." Upon achieving all of the requirements, their $1,000 was then matched $4 for every $1 saved, giving them a credit of $5,000 toward purchases required for their goal. "It's basically to seed their business or education into growth," adds Juvik. Through the program 10 Hawaiian-owned small businesses have been created and 10 Native Hawaiians are receiving higher education.

jVtama'S 3t©«se N ne of the small-business beneficiam ries, Tom Mehau and wife Beth, ■ 1 just celebrated the one-year anni^^^^versary of their business, Mama's House Thrift Store. "In my prayer work and meditation I kept hearing the eall to do a community thrift store that would offer relapse prevention and would engage people who are struggling to stay on the right path," says Beth, the Executive Director. "It felt really overwhelming and was a really lofty goal that Tom and I had talked about many times, but we had a lot of fear of letting go our day jobs because we have six children. It all just eame to be when the eeonomie crash hit and my husband became unemployed. We were watching so many of our friends losing their jobs, their houses, their cars. The faith in the calling became stronger than the fear." Beth and Tom brought their business plan to HFFCU to request help. It was then that they were introduced to the OHA IDA program. "It was a huge blessing because all we had was the money in our bank account and a friend's tax return that she offered," adds Beth. "Without that inihal funding from the program and the hnaneial mentorship we received, we could not have done this." Mama's House was created on a need that Beth and Tom saw within their Waimea community. It was a need beyond stability and sustainability for their own family. "The real calling for us is when we learned that women on welfare need to volunteer at least 20 hours a week if they aren't employed to keep their benefits," adds Beth. "And in North Hawai'i there were limited opportunities for them. And we were watching women lose their homes and subsequently lose their children. So we kind of just said, 'OK enough is enough, we have to do this.' " Mama's House is a thrift store and 12-step bookstore that provides workforce opportunities, relapse prevention, clothing, community service opportunities and paid jobs in the First-to-Work welfare program. Mama's House also has a Pantry Project where they provide free toiletries and emergency infant supplies. "When you're on the end of your budget and you can't afford diapers, feminine hygiene products or even a bar of soap, you ean eome here," adds Beth. "Sometimes people eome in and they're already shame, so we try to make it as pleasant as possible," adds Tom, Owner and Operator.

Beth says: "We do it in a way that is elegant. We have volunteers who eome in and make these beautiful packs of toiletries and supplies, so it's a real quality experience." Mama's House also hosts weekly elean and sober support groups, three youth groups and just opened a elean and sober house in February. "There's a real need because what we were seeing is that men got out of prison and received their treatment, but they were not able to stay here. They were sent to either Kona or Hilo, whieh isn't where their support is," says Beth. "So now when these men graduate from their therapeutic living

program they ean eome back to North Hawai'i." Mama's House has created 12 jobs and about 20 volunteers have earned their hours required by the welfare or judicial systems. And besides the expansion in services, the store, whieh opened with 1,500 square feet of space and is described by Beth and Tom as a huge garage sale, has more than doubled. "It's like magic is happening here," says Tom. "The community eame together to make this happen." Beth adds, "What I thought was 10 years out

in our business plan is happening now because it was so needed." At Mama's House a pot of coffee is always brewing and everyone is weleome. Because at Mama's House they believe that a community that helps one another ean empower change for the sustainability of all. "We want to meet people at a time that they're most discouraged and give them a sense of hope before a crisis happens," adds Beth. "Ourprimary goal is to get people on their feet and get our eommunity back on its feet. And our overall goal is preventing drug and aleohol abuse."

Mama's House is always accepting monetary donations, as well as toiletries, clothes, food, household items and furniture. "In eeonomie times like this and seeing the level of suffering, just a little hint of hope makes a difference," says Beth. "And I think that's what ; people get here, is a feeling of hope." SEE THRIVE ON PAGE 22

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I Top, Assistant Manager Lehuanani Oscar Akau, right, and a co-worker behind the counter.

I Left, the bookstore houses I a computer station with free P lnternet access and provides I space for various weekly supI port groups, including a Men's I Recovery Support Group on I Tuesday and Open Mie Poetry I Night on Friday. - Photos: John I OeMello

Mahealani Gambill, Waimea resident and owner of Lilikini Swimwear found herself in a similar situation as the Mehaus before stumbling upon the OHA IDA pro-

gram - big dreams and the dedication to get there, but she needed the tools to make it all happen. "I'm in a transition right now, coming up with all these ideas and trying to find direction, so everyone at HFFCU has been a really big help with that," says Gambill, an avid surfer and paddler. "The money management classes were really good. And I'm currently working on strengthening my business plan before I decide how to spend the money. I want to have a solid business plan together before I dip into that." With a degree from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising and a passion for

sewing that was instilled at a young age by her mother, Gambill delved into designing and sewing swimsuits in 2008. Her first swimsuit line was designed in Indonesia during surfing trips. The suits were sewn there and sold in Hawai'i. Business was OK, however, Gambill wasn't completely satisfied with the sewing quality. In 2009, both Gambill's trips to Indonesia and the business were put on hold when she heeame pregnant, and she decided to sew custom swimsuits herself. And when her daughter, Hualilia "Lily" was born, she expanded her line to also include baby swimwear. And just as her pregnancy and daughter inspired her new swimsuit company, it also inspired the company's name, whieh is a combination of "Lily," the name of her now 18-month-old daughter, and "hikini." "Two years ago when I started, my suits really set themselves apart because there was no Big Island company that made Braziliancut swimsuits," says Gambill, who grew up in Kalapana. Gambill's suits were sold by word of mouth and in a few shops on the Big Island, however, with Gambill being a single mom and doing all the work herself, there was no time or money for expansion. "My goal has always been to have my own store," adds Gambill, who is 26 years old. "I amlooking for seamstresses to help me sew the suits, but it's been really hard to find someone. And I'm also looking into having some of my suits made in Brazil, just so I ean go bigger. That way I ean have my custom suits and also other suits I've designed in stock." Gambill's swimsuits are currently available at Waimea Surf Classics and Kailani Surf Co. in Kona. "Mahealani has worked incredibly hard to reach her goal," says Juvik. "Her business is still in the works, but her products fly off the shelves. And she's even got entire paddling regattas wearing her suits."

Another female go-getter is Kanoe McTavish, a higher-edu-cation recipient of the OHA IDA program. McTavish was one of the many affected by the eeonomie crash. Even with a culinary degree from Kapi'olani Community College, she wasn't able to keep her job as a pastry chef. "For me when I lost my job, I wasn't making enough money to keep a roof over my head, so I opted to live in my car for a while and pay other bills," says McTavish. "Then I worked with construction, then I worked at the puhlie schools with kids with disabilities and that job got cut because it was contracted out. At that point I just couldn't go anymore without work. I tried to look for work, but there really weren't any jobs. So I made the decision that it was time to go back to school." She decided to pursue nursing. Having gone without health care, McTavish quickly realized how important and needed it was. She made the decision that she would heeome a nurse in hopes of providing medical care to families in her eommunity who do not have coverage.

THRIVE

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Saydi Silva models Lilikini swimwear, designed by friend Mahealani Gambill. - Photos: Courtesyof Mahealani Gambill

Lilikini suits hang at swimwear party in Kona.

"I didn't have Internet at home, so I was applying to nursing school at the puhlie library and the Internet went down," says McTavish, a Kawaihae resident who grew up in Waimea. "The librarian told me about the Hawai'i First Federal Resource Center and so I went there. In talking with them I mentioned that I was having a hard time getting funding for school and they were just getting this program started. And so I was the first to apply." After going through the courses and frugally saving her $1,000 for the IDA savings-match program, McTavish began as a pre-nursing student in the Registered Nursing Program last fall at Hawai'i Community College's satellite campus in Kona. "I really liked the classes such as the Money First hnaneial series at HFFCU where it shows you to put your money first and how to build your assets," says McTavish. "It was good to see and be taught how to develop hnaneial stability,

so when I do get into the workforce I ean use their planning to help me avoid going back to being in hnaneial distress." McTavish is a year away from finishing up her prerequisites and

plans to apply to nursing school in Kona, Hilo and O'ahu. She has used the monies from the OHA IDA to pay for books, school supplies and Internet in her home so she doesn't need to commute to the library or

resource center. "I couldn't have done it without the program," adds McTavish. "And the staff there has offered so mueh support. Those things really made a difference." And in return McTavish plans to use her degree to make a difference for others. It's a life lesson that she says has amplified after witnessing and experiencing the impact the help from HFFCU and OHA has made on her life. "I see a lot happening in this small town, just based on what has been given to people through the program," she adds. "I hope nursing will put me in the position to serve my community." The OHA IDA program was created to help 20 Native Hawaiians overcome poverty and obtain self-sustainability. It not only has reached its goal, but has also managed to initiate positive change in an entire community. More than 36 jobs have been created through the program and many of the individuals who received

IDAs for education are already flourishing in Hawai'i as educated contributors. "I look at them as examples for anyone experiencing hardship," says Juvik, the credit union's Community Development Director. "They have shown that you ean definitely piek up the pieces, set a goal and fight to get it." Hawai'i First Federal Credit Union has been serving the Big Island community for more than 50 years. Serving members islandwide with branches in Waimea, Waikoloa and Hilo, the credit union's mission statement is ' 'Empowering Our Community by Serving Hawai'i First!" For information about its services, visit www.hawaiifirstfcu.com. ■ Meīissa Moniz is a Contributing Writer for Ka Wai Ola. A former Associate Editor at MidWeek she has chosen a new career path as a fuU-time mom to spend more quality time with her husband and two young daughters.

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Now Ihal she's back in school, Kanoe McTavish is in a healthy eompehhon with her 7-year-old sister, Kai, to see who ean get better grades. Both are straight A students. - Photo: Couttesy of Kanoe Mcīavish