The Hualalai Ohana Foundation launched a fund on March 27 to raise money to support furloughed Hualalai employees facing urgent financial situations. See HualalaiOhanaFoundation.org/crisis-response-fund.
On April 2, an employee survey was sent out to 700 furloughed employees to better understand their needs. Most responses were from full time employees who have worked here for over 5 years, who have 1-3 children and combined household incomes of less than $99,000. The top concerns included how they would make ends meet for basic needs: food, utilities and medical. Employees expressed their gratitude for the outreach and extension of support provided by our homeowner community through the Hualalai ‘Ohana Foundation.
On April 15, an email was sent to employees announcing the opening of applications for the employee Crisis Relief Fund. As of today, 250 applications have been received. An outreach to employees will continue through all possible channels.
The Hualalai ‘Ohana Crisis Response fund has raised $259,980 from 56 donors. Every dollar donated will go directly to employees to help answer the needs they expressed. May 1st, in partnership with the Hualalai leadership team, the Ohana Foundation will be distributing support to employees through a Hualalai ‘Ohana Drive-Thru Pickup. Gift cards to local grocery stores and stipends to provide support for their utility bills will be distributed.
There has been a tremendous show of support from several local businesses, including KTA Super Stores, Foodland, and Target who have stepped up and provided in-kind matching funds in the form of gift cards. Award amounts will be based on the final number of applications and donations received but the awards will be in the range of $400 to $1,000 in value. The goal is to help maintain balance in the lives of those who make Hualalai our beloved home.
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