Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 34, Number 4, 1 April 2017 — Pūnāwai lends a hand during financial emergencies [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Pūnāwai lends a hand during financial emergencies

By Lisa Asato n times of hardship, Native Hawaiians have been turning to the Pūnāwai Program for temporary hnaneial help. In return, they get hnaneial guidance and lessons - and a helping hand to get them through an unexpected crisis, such as a medical emergency, job loss or death of an ineome earner. In 20 16, the OHA-funded program provided emergency hnaneial assistance to 288 households statewide, according to Helping Hands Hawai'i, whieh administers Pūnāwai in partnership with Catholic Charities Hawai'i and Hawaiian Community

Assets. Pūnāwai also offers information and referral services to connect people with agencies that provide help in other ways. Yet another component of Pūnāwai is hnaneial education through its Individual Development Account program, whieh encourages saving for things like higher education, future emergencies or buying a home. As an incentive, the IDA program offers a 2-to- 1 savings match up to $2,000.

For example, a family that saves $1,000 would receive a match of $2,000 for a total savings of $3,000. More and more, people are seeking help with

transitioning from homelessness into housing, said Jan Harada, president and CEO of Helping Hands Hawai'i. "We try to help them with the first month's rent or utility deposit or those kinds of up-front costs, and paired with that is the hnaneial workshop that is mandatory," Harada said. Transitioning out of homelessness qualifies for Pūnāwai assistance because it helps promote stability for individuals and families, said Harada. Promoting stability is Pūnāwai's aim, as well as giving people the skills needed to be financially

self-sufficient to the point where they won't need Pūnāwai's help in the future.

Kristine Garabiles, program manager at Helping Hands Hawai'i, said: "We want them to be able to take the skills or lessons that we're giving them and apply it on their own so they don't (need) us or any other similar services. We want to make sure that they're sustainable." About 90 percent of Pūnāwai clients don't return for emergency hnaneial assistance, said Harada, but that doesn't reflect those who may have later sought services from other providers. To qualify for Pūnāwai programs, you must

have Native Hawaiian ancestry and a household ineome at or helow 250 percent of federal poverty guidelines for Hawai'i, whieh in 2017 translates to $2,887.50 in monthly gross ineome for an individual or $5,893.75 for a family of four. For temporary Ananeial assistance, proof of an unexpected emergency must also be shown.

Harada encourages people to contact Pūnāwai right away should they receive notice from

a utility company or landlord of possible service cutoff or eviction. Pūnāwai has intervened in the past to ask Hawaiian Electric Co. to keep the eleetricity on or that an eviction be prevented. "It's interesting because I think everybody keeps thinking, 'We'll figure it out.' They're hopeful and then three utility bills later or an eviction notice later, (they say), 'Okay, we'll go ask for help.' Most times they know way in advance, but they keep holding out hope, so they don't reach out until the last minute." Some of Pūnāwai's elients express frustration at the

process of having their finances examined and having to attend Ananeial classes, Harada said, but Pūnāwai staff try to be understanding, knowing that clients are going through a difficult time. "A lot of times they're scared," she said. "They feel embarrassed to ask for help even though they shouldn't feel embarrassed or scared." But in the end, clients see the benefit of going through the steps, she said. "If they stick it out with us, they're very grateful and they understand the value of having to go through the process." ■

If they stick it out with us, they're very grateful and they understand the value of having to go through the process." — Jan Harada, president and CEO ofHelping Hands Hawai'i

EC0N0MIC SELFSUFFIGIENGY

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Beneficiaries who completed the Kahua Waiwai Financial Literacy workshop showing off their certificates. - Photos: Courtesy ofHelping Hands Hawai'i

Beneficiaries working on an activity during a Kahua Waiwai Financial Literacy workshop.

Naomi Pastor, Punawai Case Manager, teaching the Kahua Waiwai Financial Literacy workshop.