Foundations announce grants to Hawaii nonprofits

The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, Inc. awarded a $100,000 grant to the Rehabilitation Hospital of the Pacific to expand its statewide charity care program for elderly and needy patients.

Easter Seals Hawaii gets $100,000 – The D.R. Horton, Schuler Division, awarded $100,000 to Easter Seals Hawaii at Napuakea for a new facility in Kapolei to open this summer. The donation will be made in two installments over two years. Napuakea will provide services to more than 500 families from Ewa to Waianae.

Schuler Family Foundation has pledged $100,000 to Child & Family Service for its new Emergency Shelter and Transitional Housing facility in West Oahu for families of domestic violence.

The YWCA of Oahu received $10,000 from the Walmart Foundation for its Life Inc. career exploration program for high school students. The YWCA provides mentors from the business community to teach the program in classrooms.

The Waipahu Community Foundation awarded its quarterly (April to June 2009) grants totaling $19,962 to Waipahu Elementary School ($1,920), Kanoelani Elementary School ($4,777), Friends of the Waipahu Public Library ($1,900), Lighthouse Outreach Center ($4,250), Waipahu Community Association Project Graduation ($4,250) and Na Pa'ani Softball ($2,865).

Ka Pa'alana, a family education and homeless outreach program of the Partners in Development Foundation, received $50,000 from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. The funds will be used to purchase and build two 30-foot weather-tight tents for its Family Education Center.

The Alexander & Baldwin Foundation awarded $25,000 to Maui Community College to help small-business owners attend classes at its Center for Entrepreneurship.

The Rotary Club of Kapolei donated more than $25,000, raised from its yearly Ko Olina Taste at Kapolei event, to community groups that benefit the Leeward area. Ko Olina Charities received $7,898. Leeward Community College Culinary Arts Program, Campbell High School's culinary program and Waianae Searider Productions were each awarded $5,000. The Well of Hope Foundation was given $1,000 to drill a well for five remote villages in Ethiopia. Other donations included $1,800 to the Rotary Youth Leadership Academy Camp, $1,600 to the Kapolei High School football team, $400 to Nanakuli High School, $950 to the Teacher Education Supplies Grant and $1,000 to the Billy Gardner Scholarship.

Read to Me International Foundation recognized Hawaii Pizza Hut and Henry Katsuda, president and CEO of TD Food Group, for their continued support of children's literacy needs. Hawaii Pizza Hut has raised more than $3 million for literacy programs through its "Carryout for Literacy" campaign.

Waikiki Health Center received a $50,000 grant from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs that will enable the center to expand its services to kupuna and the native Hawaiian community on the North Shore. Support will go to two programs: the Ho'ola Like North Shore Primary Care Clinic, which offers traditional Hawaiian healing integrated with Western primary medical care; and the Care-a-Van homeless outreach program. The funds will also enable the center to add new services for seniors in low-income housing.

Pacific American Foundation, which provides education and career planning services to Hawaiian youth and adults, received $50,000 from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs; Education Hale to continue Project Popoho Na Pea.

HMSA Foundation has awarded $18,000 to Prevent Child Abuse Hawaii to organize a statewide conference for professionals and parents to discuss the prevention of child abuse and neglect.

Consuelo Foundation was honored by the Hawaii Senate for more than 20 years of improving the lives of disadvantaged women, children and families in the Philippines and Hawaii, carrying on the work of Consuelo Zobel Alger, who came from the Philippines to retire in Hawaii.