Our culturally responsive programs include behavioral health services, culturally responsive peer mentoring, and monthly group intergenerational healing sessions. We provide ongoing, in person, support groups, as well as one on one mentoring, for female and female identifying survivors of domestic violence, substance use disorders, homelessness and sexual trauma on Hawaii Island. We create a Pu'uhonua (culturally responsive, nonthreatening environment) to promote healing and engage in KūkāKūkā (courageous conversations) that lead to healing.
Our program is designed to introduce participants to individual, intergenerational trauma and how it influences hurt and healing. Our program co-director has been facilitating KukaKuka sessions for nearly three years. We work within our community to identify those in need. Most participants are referred to us by Hope Services Hawaii, others are self-referral; all participants undergo an intake review. Importantly, we ensure participants commit to regular kuka kuka sessions and complete required assignments looking for solutions that lie within our ancestral roots - including huaka’i to wahi pana.
He Ho’omake Hou Ana O’Puna is unique in situating a variety of support services in a culturally responsive, in-person, group session, as well as one on one, designed to nourish participants through food, outdoor activities, and KūKāKūkā (courageous conversations). Sessions with a trained facilitator and peer mentors allow us to understand participants’ unique needs and ensure those needs are met. As such, we work with a variety of local agencies to find housing, healthcare services, mental and behavioral health services, and other programs/services that individual participants require. He Ho’omake Hou Ana O’Puna nourishes participants physically and mentally. Our long-term intended outcomes are individual and community multi-generational healing by using our voices to change our stories. We tell our stories to reshape our stories.
He Hoʻomaka Hou Ana O Puna organizes community sign waving events throughout the year to bring visibility, voice, and healing to the epidemic of violence facing our Indigenous wāhine (women), kaikamāhine (girls), and māhū. These public gatherings honor the lives of those who are missing or have been murdered and shine a light on the urgent need for justice, protection, and prevention.
Each May, in recognition of the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls & Māhū (MMIWGM), we gather in solidarity—wearing red, lifting signs, and calling attention to this ongoing crisis. This effort is a powerful collaboration with local partners, including Going Home Hawaiʻi, and takes place in visible, high-traffic areas to educate the public and inspire action.
In October, during Domestic Violence Awareness Month, our community again comes together to uplift survivors, remember those lost, and challenge the silence that surrounds domestic violence in rural Hawaiʻi. Survivors and their support systems use their voices, their signs, and their stories to turn silence into strength, as reported by Big Island Now.
Our sign waving events are rooted in aloha ʻāina and kuleana. They are not only acts of protest but of profound cultural and spiritual healing.
No More Stolen Sisters. No More Silence. Join us.
Our Peer-to-Peer Mentorship Program, supported through a valued partnership with the National Center for Victims of Crime (NCVC), is a cornerstone of our work at He Hoʻomaka Hou Ana O Puna. This program provides trauma-informed, culturally grounded support for women survivors of domestic violence, sexual trauma, and systemic harm through lived-experience mentorship and community building.
Led by our Co-Director Renee Rivera, MSW, and Senior Peer Mentor Dr. Dayna Schultz, Psy.D., LSW,CSAC, the program centers on weekly Hāumana KukaKuka sessions designed to foster connection, healing, and empowerment. Renee and Dayna draw on both professional training and personal journey to guide participants through a culturally relevant process rooted in Native Hawaiian values such as aloha, kuleana, and mālama. Together, they cultivate a safe, judgment-free space for women to share moʻolelo (stories), rebuild their self-worth, and reclaim their agency.
Through guided conversations, skill-sharing, and mutual accountability, participants begin to see themselves not just as survivors, but as future mentors—leaders within their own families and communities. This intergenerational model of healing creates a ripple effect, strengthening ʻohana ties and reinforcing community resilience. By centering cultural practices and peer leadership, the program helps restore identity, reduce isolation, and build lasting systems of support in East Hawaiʻi.
Our monthly food distribution initiative, in collaboration with Hawaiʻi Community College, The Food Basket, and other community partners, is dedicated to addressing food insecurity among students and residents across Hawaiʻi Island.
At the heart of this effort is the Kahuaola Basic Needs Center at Hawaiʻi CC’s Manono Campus. Supported by a grant from the Stupski Foundation, Kahuaola offers a food pantry, hygiene products, and referrals to essential services. This center serves as a vital resource, especially considering that 31% of Hawaiʻi CC students reported experiencing food insecurity in the prior 30 days, and 50% of those facing basic needs insecurity did not apply for campus support due to lack of awareness or knowledge on how to access these services.
In addition to on-campus support, Hawaiʻi CC students actively participate in community food distribution efforts. At the college’s Mauliola farm, students cultivate and harvest produce, such as bananas and ʻulu (breadfruit), which are then donated to The Food Basket. Since 2023, over 1,000 pounds of fresh produce have been contributed to support families in need.
The Food Basket, Hawaiʻi Island’s food bank since 1989, plays a pivotal role in these initiatives. Through programs like DA BOX, a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, The Food Basket purchases and aggregates Hawaiʻi-grown fruits and vegetables from over 50 farms annually. These are then distributed to residents via affordable subscription services with weekly pick-up locations throughout the island, including Hawaiʻi CC campuses.
This collaborative approach not only addresses immediate food needs but also fosters community engagement, supports local agriculture, and promotes sustainable practices. By integrating educational institutions, non-profit organizations, and community members, the program strengthens the resilience and well-being of Hawaiʻi Island’s communities.
He Ho'omaka Hou Ana O' Puna
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