The season of giving naturally encourages reflection. Many of us take a moment to be thankful for what we have—our homes, our families, and our sense of security—and to think about how we might be kind to people outside our own groups. Even if the air is full of kindness, tragic things are happening quietly across our islands. This year, Hawaii is in a crisis that can’t be ignored: there are more homeless children than ever before, and donations to help them are at an all-time low.
We just heard about the urgent request from Project Hawai‘i, a nonprofit group that aims to help homeless children—our keiki—on the Big Island, Maui, and O‘ahu. The stats are mind-blowing. Right now, more than 2,400 children are depending on Project Hawai‘i for basic needs, care, and hope. At the same time, the group is getting the fewest donations it has ever gotten.
This isn’t just a number. These data show real kids—toddlers, elementary school students, and teens—growing up without a secure home, often without enough food, and sometimes without access to basic needs that most of us take for granted.
A child never chooses to be homeless.
People lose their homes for a number of reasons, such as losing their jobs, getting sick, experiencing domestic violence, rising housing prices, or other unanticipated occurrences in their lives. But kids never choose to be homeless. Things that are absolutely out of their control bring them into it.
Families in Hawaii are being pushed to the edge more and more as the cost of living rises and there aren’t enough affordable homes. A lot of people have to live in automobiles, tents, on the beach, or in congested temporary places. This volatility can be very bad for kids. It has an impact on their physical health, mental health, education, and future.
Kids who are homeless often have to deal with things that most of us never had to deal with when we were kids, including going to school without showering, worrying about where they’ll sleep that night, or feeling like no one sees them. These kids need more than just short-term help. They need someone to see them, care for them, and speak out for them.
What Is Project Hawai‘i?
Project Hawai’i is a nonprofit group that works at the local level to support homeless kids across the state. Project Hawai‘i focuses on keiki, unlike many other relief programs that help a wide range of people. This is because they know that early intervention can affect the course of a child’s life.
Their initiative helps kids living in shelters, cars, beach camps, and transitional housing. Project Hawai’i provides essential items such as clothing, shoes, hygiene kits, school supplies, literature, food, and comfort goods. But the mental support they give may be just as important as the physical help.
Project Hawai’i helps kids feel recognized, respected, and supported through literacy programs, mentoring, and regular outreach. They tell keiki that their worth isn’t defined by their situation and that their aspirations still matter.
More needs, fewer resources
This year has been full of problems that have never happened before. Project Hawai‘i has found that more children are in need than ever before, yet donations are at an all-time low. This combination has made it very hard for the group to meet even the most basic needs of the kids they help.
Nonprofits are just as affected by rising prices as households are. Costs for food, clothing, transportation, and programs have all increased. When donations go down, it means that hard choices have to be made, like getting fewer supplies, having fewer outreach events, and reaching fewer kids.
But the need doesn’t stop or get smaller. More and more families become homeless every day, and more and more kids need support.
Why Help from the Community Is Important
The community is what keeps Project Hawai‘i going. Their programs rely on donations, volunteer effort, and people talking about them. When the community comes together, kids get food, warmth, education, and hope. When assistance isn’t enough, kids feel it right away.
This is where we can all make a difference.
It’s not about big gifts or big gestures to aid Project Hawai‘i; those things are helpful, but they’re not the point. It’s about working together. The chain reaction is strong when a lot of people give what they can. A simple gift can buy a youngster hygiene supplies. Another can help buy books or school materials. These donations work together to give keiki who need it most stability and respect.
How to Get Involved
There are numerous important ways to help Project Hawai‘i:
- Donate financially, either as a one-time gift or on a regular basis, to help with basic needs and program costs.
- Volunteer your time to help with outreach, sorting supplies, or literacy programs.
- Donate items such as clothes, shoes, books, or hygiene products.
- Tell your friends, family, and coworkers about their mission to raise awareness.
Talking about the situation of child homelessness, even just a little, helps raise attention to a problem that is often buried.
Why It’s Important to Act Now
Childhood doesn’t last long. What kids go through now will affect who they become tomorrow. When homeless keiki have help, support, and stability, even in tiny amounts, it can make all the difference between falling between the gaps and finding a way to move forward.
Time and time again, Project Hawai’i has proved that caring about others and taking action can alter lives. But they can’t do it by themselves. Hawaii’s most at-risk children need our community to step up, speak out, and help them.
Let’s keep the spirit of giving alive all year long as we move into a new year. We should remember that kindness lasts longer than presents. We help make sure that no child is forgotten, unseen, or without hope by supporting Project Hawai‘i.
We can all work together to tell Hawaii’s kids that they matter and that they are not alone.