Support Grassroots, Social Change Orgs throughout Hawai'i :)

Aloha!

From January through May, Iʻm participating in Hawaiʻi Peopleʻs Fundʻs Giving Project alongside 18 other curious and committed folx seeking to radically transform the way we move money to movements for real change from the roots up. This innovative, inclusive, intentional vessel provides safe and brave spaces for collaborations between diverse groups of people, bringing together shared values, passions, and abilities that center around intergenerational progress and socio-cultural wellbeing.

The Giving Project interweaves a cross-class, cross-race, gender-diverse, intergenerational collective that shares a vision for a just and equitable Hawaiʻi to apply our time, talent, and resources to supporting movements for social change by uplifting, advocating for, and raising funds to support HPFʻs community partners who are combatting systems of oppression everyday. Our hui is working together virtually and in-person to learn about and connect with grassroots organizations here at home, deepening our understanding of Hawaiʻi’s unique history and contemporary social justice principles, and engaging in collective liberation learning and practices to amplify and illuminate social change efforts throughout our pae ʻāina.

I love Hawaiʻi, and i knew i wanted to participate in something meaningful to advance social justice in the islands. That's why I created a fundshifter to share my journey with my ʻohana and friends,—and you can be a part of it.

In addition to the fundshifting, I'll be reaching out to all donors and others in my network to share more about my personal experience with Hawai'i People's Fund and hopefully connecting you to this work in sustainable ways.

Here's a little bit about my own personal journey in and through this work: I moved to Hawai'i to escape the cold and in a lot of ways, escape my life on the continent. I had never been to Hawai'i and I basically knew nobody here. I knew nothing about about the displacements and colonization of Native Hawaiians and I didn't take the time to research or learn before getting here. I don't remember how exactly I began to learn about it, but there have been many auntys and uncles along the way who have generously shared their wisdom, stories, and knowledge freely with me. I will forever be so grateful to them. In addition to all these people, the 'āina and akua of this place have really taught me more than anything. This land has held me, pushed me, supported me, pushed me some more, and then held me again. If you've been here, you get it. Because of all that I've so freely received, it's been important to me to find ways to live in reciprocity with this land. The giving back has looked very different over the last two years, but more recently I've been drawn to sharing the history of colonization with others, especially white people. It was (and still is) mindblowing to me how little the ongoing colonization of Hawai'i is talked about on the continent and how easy it is to come here and never learn anything about it. My work continues to be inviting white people in to learn more about our direct and current contribution to this.

Hawai'i, Hawaiian people and culture, and this land have completely shaped who I am today. There is no amount of money, time, or effort that I could ever put in that would equal how much I've received and been gifted. I hope that even if you don't agree or want to join me on this journey, you'll at least help me in my process of giving back.

Mahalo nui loa <3

Jas