News Releases

Releases that pertain to the Molokai and Hawaiian communities.

Kanikapila Group Therapy Returns

Wednesday, January 18th, 2023

Kanikapila Group Therapy News Release

For those of you who fondly recall the days when Kanikapila was at the Coffees of Hawaii site in Kualapuu, let it be known that it has returned! It was named Kanikapila Group Therapy because so many people who showed up for it would comment that they felt so good afterwards. 

If you don’t know what the word “kanikapila” means, it is a style of Hawaiian music produced in an impromptu jam session. The term comes from “kani,” which means sound, and “pila” which means any string instrument in the Hawaiian language.

Kanikapila Group Therapy (KGT) meets the first and third Tuesday of every month from 10a.m…

$1M for Molokai Health Center

Wednesday, January 18th, 2023

Sen. Hirono News Release 

Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) announced that Community Health Centers (CHCs) on Oahu, Maui, Molokai and Hawaii Island will receive over $8.15 million in federal funding from the Department of Health and Human Services to support the delivery of health care services to underserved communities across the state. The five grantees include Hana Community Health Center; Kalihi-Palama Health Center; Waimanalo Health Center; Molokai Ohana Health Care, Inc. (Molokai Community Health Center); and Hamakua Health Center.

“Community health centers help ensure that everyone, especially rural and underserved communities, can access the health care services they need,” said Sen.…

MEO Head Start Applications

Wednesday, January 18th, 2023

MEO News Release

Maui Economic Opportunity’s Head Start, a 100 percent subsidized preschool program for low income families, will begin accepting applications for the 2023-24 school year beginning Wednesday, Feb, 1.

Children who will be 3 or 4 years old by July 31, 2023, and whose families meet income and other requirements are eligible for the program. There are a limited number of spaces.

MEO Early Childhood Services runs programs in Kahului, Wailuku, Kihei, Lahaina, Makawao and Kaunakakai. The school year runs from mid-August to the end of May 2024.

Parents/legal guardians are required to provide the child’s birth certificate and income verification (preferably 2022 income tax returns or 2022 W-2 forms) or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) printouts.  …

Temporary Water Shut Off of Hoʻolehua Water System

Wednesday, January 11th, 2023

DHHL News Release 

The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL), through its contractor Goodfellow Brothers, will conduct improvements to a main water line of Molokai’s Hoʻolehua Water System beginning on Jan. 16.

As part of these improvements, water service is scheduled to be shut off from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. on Jan. 17 and 18.

Residents in Kalamʻula are advised to conserve water. Upon reactivation, customers may experience low water pressure until the system is fully pressurized. Affected customers are asked to store water and adjust schedules accordingly.

The temporary water service interruption is a portion of DHHL’s $37 million capital improvement project to upgrade Molokai’s 80-year-old Hoʻolehua Water System.…

Kilohana School Finalist in STEM Competition

Wednesday, January 11th, 2023

Samsung News Release 

Molokai’s Kilohana School is among 300 public schools across America have been named State Finalists in the 13th annual Samsung Solve for Tomorrow national competition, announced Samsung Electronics America. Representing the cream of more than 1000 competition entrants, each state finalist has won a package of $2,500 in technology and school supplies. Kilohana was one of five schools in Hawaii that became finalists. These finalists advance to additional stages of the competition that will culminate in three schools being selected in May as national winners, and receive $100,000 prize packages. 

The annual Solve for Tomorrow competition challenges public school students in grades 6-12 to explore the role science, technology, engineering, and math (the core STEM subjects) can play in addressing some of the biggest issues in their local communities.…

$2.7M Awarded for Small-Scale Agriculture

Wednesday, January 11th, 2023

HDOA News Release 

The Hawaii Department of Agriculture (HDOA) has announced the award of 579 grants, totaling $2,684,350, for small-scale agriculture; including home gardening, herding and livestock operations in areas that are food insecure.

More than 7,400 applications were received this fall under the Micro-Grants for Food Security Program (MGFSP). The applications and project proposals were evaluated and ranked by HDOA’s Market Development Branch (MDB) and final approval was received last week from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Funding for this grant program is provided by the USDA under the 2018 Farm Bill. Grant amounts ranged from $750 to $5,000.…

Kupuna Receive $50 Gift Cards

Wednesday, January 11th, 2023

MEO News Release 

More than 400 lower income kupuna on Maui, Molokai and Lanai received a special holiday present – a $50 gift card to markets on their islands – through a $20,000 AlohaCare donation that was distributed by Maui Economic Opportunity.

The 415 gift cards were mailed or hand-delivered by MEO over the holidays and are redeemable at Foodland on Maui, Misaki’s and Friendly Market on Molokai and Pine Isle and Richard’s Markets on Lanai.

A Foodland discount supplemented the number of gift cards.

“Our goal this holiday season was to partner with nonprofits to make the holidays brighter by giving back to our community, with a special focus on keiki and kupuna,” said Francoise Culley-Trotman, AlohaCare CEO.…

Molokai Students Sponsored for Workforce Readiness

Wednesday, December 28th, 2022

ClimbHI News Release 

Hawaii workforce development nonprofit ClimbHI announces the donation of nearly $18,500 by businesses and organizations throughout Maui County this year, sponsoring 233 students in grades 9-12 on Maui, Lanai and Molokai so they can earn ClimbHI Service Excellence Certificates.

The Maui Visitors and Convention Bureau recently donated funding to sponsor 120 students participating in the program at King Kekaulike High School, in addition to sponsorships for the school by the Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort and Wailea Beach Resort – Marriott, Maui.

Other Maui County donations include sponsorships by the Maui Hotel and Lodging Association for students at Molokai High and Middle School; The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua, for students at Lahainaluna High School and Lanai High and Elementary School; and the Four Seasons Resort Maui for students at Maui High School.…

Children’s Theatre of Molokai Launches

Wednesday, December 21st, 2022

Children’s Theatre of Molokai Launches

Hokulani CTOM News Release 

There are currently no ongoing theatrical opportunities in the community or any of Molokai schools. To fill this gap, a grassroots community effort began in 2022 by Vicki Boswell, a former elementary school performing arts teacher and social worker from the island. The mission of Hokulani Children’s Theatre of Molokai (Hokulani CTOM) is to enrich the lives of young people and inspire them to build a better community by gaining performing art experience that will deepen their understanding of human connections and values. Hokulani CTOM is in the process of being created.

Working with other community organizations we officially launch in January with our first community production play, “The Legend of Mulan” for youth between the ages of 7 and 14 years old. …

MHS Robotics Begins New Season

Wednesday, December 21st, 2022

MHS Robotics Begins New Season

MHS Robotics News Release 

After a successful comeback in FIRST Robotics late last school year, the Molokai High School Robotics Team competed at its first in-person VEX Robotics Tournament in over two years on at Maui High and managed to finish as tournament finalists and won the Judges Award!

For this season, we are expecting to compete at least six times — four with VEX Robotics and two with FIRST Robotics.

In addition to competitions, MHS Robotics has also revived the Molokai Robotics VEX IQ League, which we last hosted in 2019. The league serves as an opportunity for local elementary/middle school robotics teams to compete without having to spend money traveling interisland.…