Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 28, Number 4, 1 April 2011 — 'This grant gave us hope' [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

'This grant gave us hope'

OHA awards 9 GBED Grants

By ūuane Shimogawa

Marcia Bermoy was addicted to drugs for 25 years. The drugs, she said in an online testimonial, helped mask the main of abuse. Then a few years ago, she sought treatment and with the help of nonprofit Women in Need, got the support to turn her life around. Today, Bermoy is a Program Manager for Women in Need's Bridge to Success transitional shelter in Wai'anae, helping women get off drugs, off the streets and out of abusive relationships. Women in Need's Bridue to Success Pro2ram has been awarded

Ia $25,000 Community-Based Eeonomie Development Grant by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to help Native Hawaiian women and their children break the cycle of violence and drug use. The program provides support services to reach self-sufficiency and create healthy relationships. Women in Need's Founder Mary Scott-Lau said the OH A grant

eame at just the right time. Women in Need is one of many nonprofits that is seeing its funding slashed, as the state grapples with its budget. The nonprofit will lose its $300,000 contract with the

state Department of Human Services, whieh amounts to a third of its budget. It has already been forced to reduce its 14 member staff by half. "This grant gave us hope and raised our spirits that we ean get back some of the funding we lost in small steps," Scott-Lau said. The Office of Hawaiian Affairs has awarded $328,841 in Community-Based Eeonomie Development (CBED) Grants to nine non-profits. "OHA is extremely proud to award Community-Based Eeonomie Development grants to these organizations because SEE GBED ON PAGE 14

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OHA CE0 Clyde Nāmu'o, on left, presents a eheek to recipients of 0HA's Community-Based Eeonomie Developmentgrants. With him are recipients Robin Johnson of Family Promise of Hawai'i, Keali'i Lum of Ali'i Pauahi Hawaiian Civic Club, Keith Ogata of SC0RE Hawai'i, Charles Williams of WorkNet ine., Phillip Harmon of Alternative Structures lnternational dba 'Ohana Ola '0 Kahumana, Curtis Tsuzaki of Corvette Center Ministries dba Zion 'īpuka, Adrienne Dillard of Kula no na Po'e Hawai'i, and Mary ScottLau of Women in Need. - Photo: John Matsuzaki

Marcia Bermoy

CBED

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they provide programs and services that will allow Native Hawaiians to be economically successful and self-sufficient," said OHA Chief Executive Officer Clyde Nāmu'o. The CBED Grant Program helps nonprofit organizations create eeonomie opportunities that help Native Hawaiians to achieve self-sufficiency through training in leadership and job skills, and strengthening their hnaneial literacy. The awards were presented on Feb. 24. Programs supported by the CBED grants

target a variety of people, including those emerging from correctional facilities, families with persons with disabilities, and youth interested in the music industry. Other programs supported by the grants will mentor Hawaiian entrepreneurs and help homeless families transition into the community. Funding up to $50,000 is available for eaeh organization per year. If you'd like more information on Women in Need, visit its Web site at www.win-hawaii.org. ■ Duane Shimogawa, a MidWeek Kaua'i columnist, is aformer reporter for Hawai'i News Now and The Garden Island.

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