Executive Director’s Corner -July 2022

Aloha family and friends:

EPIC `Ohana, like many organizations in Hawai`i, uses a July – June fiscal year. On the 24th, our `Ohana Conferencing, `Ohana Finding, and Youth Circles staff celebrate with a get together for the first time in person since 2019. Family Wrap Hawai`i will meet in person in July, and our HI HOPES boards will gather together the day before the `Ohana is Forever conference in July. Our Circles, Conferences and Meetings are slowly starting to take place in person.

When the pandemic started we focused on three goals: 1) to keep our ourselves, our families, and our young people healthy, 2) to exceed expectations on all of our contracts and grants so that we provide the best service we can to the families and young people we serve, and 3) that we do everything we can to help our community stay safe. We could not have reached those goals without your help, and the amazing commitment of each and every member of our EPIC `Ohana.

As we look toward next year there are some things that we are especially grateful for and excited about. First, we welcome to our Board of Directors three new members: Wimmie Wong Lui, Jessica Morikone and Jennifer Oyer. They bring to our organization expertise in Human Resources, Budget and Finance and Fund Development.

Second, we are excited to begin our work as co-chair of Mālama `Ohana, a work group established by the 2022 Legislature to bring our community voices together to strengthen the child welfare system and build partnerships that allow all of our families and children to thrive. Venus Rosete-Medeiros, Executive Director of Hale Kipa is named as co-chair. The work group builds upon the Nā Kama a Hāloa Network that has been meeting since 2018 to develop the connections that native Hawaiian children in the child welfare system need to thrive.

And finally, we are excited to celebrate 25 years of EPIC `Ohana in January 2023.

Wishing all of you a healthy and relaxing summer.

Aloha

Laurie