By Hawaiian Electric:
Employees and ʻohana also give back to communities
For the year ending 2018, the Hawaiian Electric Companies contributed a total of $1,052,650 to support hundreds of non-profit, charitable and social welfare organizations across its service territories on Oʻahu, Maui county and Hawaiʻi Island in efforts to create strong, sustainable and resilient communities.
More than 20 percent of the funding total was directed to advance high-quality STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) learning opportunities for HawaiÊ»i students and educators, while also encouraging careers in the STEM fields which are core to the Hawaiian Electric Companies’ mission of innovative clean energy leadership for HawaiÊ»i.
Beneficiaries of Hawaiian Electric’s corporate grants included nonprofit service providers that aid in disaster preparedness and recovery, serve HawaiÊ»i’s most vulnerable populations includingthe elderly, homeless and at-risk youth, support educational excellence and economic growth, protect the island’sthreatened and endangered species and environment,and promote sustainable food and energy security in HawaiÊ»i.
Off the job, morethan 4,500 employees and their families and friends donated 13,395 hours of community servicethrough activities aimed at improving the quality of life within the community or fulfilling a community need. Volunteer activities includedtrash and stream cleanups as well as community workdays to support restoration and maintenance of traditional loʻi (taro patch) and loko ʻia (fish pond). For the second year, Hawaiian Electric volunteers helped to install free smoke alarms and educate homeowners about fire safety and prevention to help save lives.
One-month long employee-led food& funddriveshelped toraise more than 3800 pounds of food and over $12,400 for local food bankson Oʻahu and Maui, and employees also donated more than 900 units of blood to the Hawaiʻi Blood Bank during the year.
As one company, employees raised $12,000 for Hope Lodge, a home away from home for cancer patients seeking treatment on Oʻahu, inspired by an employee who lost his battle with the disease. After presenting the donation, employees prepared and served a home-cooked dinner for the families from Maui and Hawaiʻi Island who werestaying at Hope Lodge whilereceiving chemotherapy and radiationtreatment.
Community involvement also extended to school supplies and toys-for-tots drives to provide for less fortunate keikias well as toiletry and gently used clothing drives for women in need, continuing a long-standing tradition by Hawaiian Electric Companies’employees of giving back.
Caption: In 2018, the Hawaiian Electric Companies contributed more than $1 million to support hundreds of non-profit, charitable and social welfare organizations across its service territories and more than 4,500 employees and their families and friends also volunteered 13,395 hours of community service. A one-month long employee led food & fund drive by Hawaiian Electric employees resulted in 3,353 pounds of food and more than $12,000 raised for Hawaii Food Bank (HFB) during the holidays. Standing left to right: Beverly Santos (HFB Director of Food Drive & Events), Keola Siafuafu (Hawaiian Electric VP Enterprise Operations), Darcy Endo-Omoto (Hawaiian Electric VP Government & Community Affairs), Laura Kay Rand (HFB Vice President & Chief Impact Officer), Marielle Terbio (HFB Director of Community Engagement & Advocacy) and Ron Mizutani (HFB President & CEO). Photo by Travis Nishida, Hawaiian Electric.