11/28/2024
Hauʻoli Lā Hoʻomaikaʻi
and
Lā Kūoʻkoʻa!
We have much to be thankful for!
As we enter this season of celebration, we invite you to join us in reflecting on all that we accomplished together in 2024.
ʻĀina
Progress continues at Pālāwai, the 116 acres we have been blessed to steward over. Efforts are underway to restore the ancient ʻauwai to get the water flowing to the fields once again. Invasive species are being cleared to prepare the way for restoration and abundance once again to this important valley once considered the bread basket of Koʻolau. We are building a great team of experts at Trust for Public Land, Hawaiian Island Land Trust, G70, and various others who are helping to provide guidance on master planning and best practices. Stay tuned for more updates coming soon!
Adventures
The highlight of the year for us as a staff was traveling to Molokaʻi to help our friends at Kinohi Loa reopen and restore ancient loʻi. This was a profound privilege and life changing experience for all of us. We are so grateful for the opportunity and new lifetime connection to this very special wahi pana and ʻohana.
Kūkuluhou Program
There were 49 students overall who participated in the different levels of our year round mentoring program, including 14 who completed seasonal internships. In the spring of 2024, we celebrated the graduation of five students from our Ahupuaʻa Systems Apprenticeship Program. They received tuition and stipends to complete various AA degrees at Windward Community College. We are happy to report that all 5 are pursuing their Bachelor’s degrees. Additionally, 10 students are currently participating in the same 2-year program inspired by the achievements of their peers. We are encouraged by the incredible growth of all our haumāna. We can’t wait to see what the future holds for each of them!
Kaiāulu and Kupuohi Programs
For our community, we were blessed to host over 70 groups this year, from local organizations like the Kailua Canoe Club to international visitors. We also welcomed over 1,200 students from 33 schools across Oʻahu and the continent who experienced first-hand the values learned and connections made when building pilina with ʻāina.
With hearts full of gratitude, we reflect on all the laughter, the hana, the growth, and the amazing community that made it all possible. Join us in celebrating all the memories and the excitement for what is to come.
Mahalo piha to each and every one of you.
We are so thankful for your support and partnership.
Have a blessed holiday season.
2024: A Year In Review With Ho’okua’āina
We are deeply grateful for our incredible community of volunteers, customers, haumāna, kumu, kūpuna, donors, funders, partners, supporters, and our ‘ohana. Together, we’ve accomplished so much this year, and we can’t wait to see what we’ll achieve in the year ahead!
If you’d like to help us continue making a positive impact, please consider making a donation. Your support means the world to us. Mahalo piha for your support-we are so thankful for each one of you!
Our Staff Adventure to Moloka'i
What a privilege it was to partner with Kinohi Loa to work on reopening and restoring ancient lo'i kalo. We are so grateful for the opportunity and new lifetime connection to this very special wahi pana and ʻohana. Mahalo nui Ke Akua, and all those you assigned to this trip, for the pilina, the stories, the songs, and the life transforming time we spent together.
Mahalo nunui Kalani Akau for capturing the beauty and essence of our magical time together with Kinohi Loa. This video is a treasure. Great job!
Get to know our team!
We’re incredibly fortunate to have an amazing team, and we want you to get to know them too! In each newsletter, we’ll feature fun introductions of our staff members. This time, we’re excited to introduce Juli, our newest hoaʻāina, Kaulana, our Alaka'i Lo'i and ASA Program graduate, and Aina, one of our awesome second-year ASA participants! Be sure to check out our next newsletter for more behind-the-scenes stories from our team!
Spread Aloha This Holiday Season with Local Gifts from Hoʻokuaʻāina!
This Holiday Season, Save Big and Share the Gift of Poi!
We’re thrilled to offer special promotions to help you prepare for the next poi season. From gift cards to local merch, there’s something for everyone on your list!
🎁 Holiday Gift Card Sale
Gift cards are available in both digital and physical versions—perfect for sharing the love of poi! Physical gift cards must be purchased on site.
✨ $100 gift card equals 12 bags of poi or paʻa - a $20 savings! Add a $120 gift card to your cart and use code POI100 at checkout to receive discount.
✨ $55 gift card equals 5 bags of poi or paʻa - a $5 dollar savings! Add a $60 gift card to your cart and use code POI55 at checkout to receive discount.
🎁 Exclusive Deals on Local Merch
✨ 20% Off Cookbooks – Perfect for discovering new poi recipes!
✨ 15% Off Merch – Includes all shirts and hats—great gifts for any poi lover.
✨ 10% Off Candles – Bring the warmth of the season home.
Stock up for yourself or share the gift of poi and local culture with loved ones this holiday season.
📅 Hurry—Sale Ends December 15, 2024!
All merch and candle orders must be picked up by December 20, 2024.
We love your stories!
We are collecting stories about where our poi and kalo goes and the impact it has on our community. If you have any stories, memories, experiences, etc. about our poi and/or kalo, we invite you to share them at the link below.
Our Mission
Hoʻokuaʻāina cultivates a culture of individual well-being and community waiwai through aloha ʻāina.
Ways to Connect and Support
Our greatest asset is the strong support we receive from our community. We invite you to jump in the waʻa as we continue this journey. Together we can restore our ʻāina and community to health and abundance.
100% of all proceeds, including poi and kalo sales, go toward sustaining Hoʻokuaʻāina mentoring programs for at-risk youth. Hoʻokuaʻāina is a 501c3 nonprofit organization. All contributions are tax deductible. (FEIN 45-2517616)
Mahalo nui for your support to grow and sustain our programs!
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