UHCDC Visit #3 Hāna Community Kitchen Project ~ November 16-18, 2023

On behalf of the Hāna Chapter of the Hawaiʻi Farmers Union United, and as the acting community liaison for this project, I would like to acknowledge and extend a warm mahalo to you, our community and stakeholders invested in transforming the East Maui agricultural ʻaina-based hana – for inspiring, engaging, and moving the project forward as we develop plans for the Hāna Community Commercial Kitchen & Food Hub Center. We are grateful for our intrepid University of Hawaiʻi Community Development Center (UHCDC) Team sharing their expertise as we are nearing completion of the OED funded grant: G5737 HFUU Hāna Community Kitchen Project.

We invite you to come review the results of the UHCDC work lead by Kimi Makiau – Project Supervisor, Logan Shiroma, and Malu (Jonathan) Stanich, which will include a final ʻProof of Concept’ report that includes both the ʻSite Selection Overview’ and ʻCommunity and Producer Survey Results’. You can read through these reports and learn more about the project and UHCDC at Hāna Community Kitchen Project

We will be hosting 3 community open house events:

1. Thursday, November 16, 2023 – 5:30 to 7:00 pm location TBD

Please RSVP by emailing hub@hanafood.org – Dinner provided

2. Friday, November 17, 2023 – 3 to 5 pm at the Hāna Farmers Market / HBC Booth

3. Saturday, November 18, 2023 – 8 to 9:30 am at Ala Kukui Snacks & refreshments provided

This effort, although in the mix of top community needs discussed for decades, sprung from the impetus of the Hawaiʻi State Ways & Means committee visiting Hāna in the fall of 2022 suggesting to our community’s nonprofit and commercial business/agricultural leaders that we pull together a plan to submit to the legislature for funding. Our next step will be to submit the work from this year into a Grants-in-Aid submission for the 2024 Legislative Session, which is due by the end of January 2024.

Malama pono & A hui hou,

Heidi Lea
Hawaiʻi Farmers Union United – Hāna Chapter | East Maui Food Hub Grant Liaison

Hāna Business Council | Executive Director
Maui Hikina Hoʻomakaukau ~ East Maui Ready | Community Liaison

Contact: hub@hanafood.org / (406) 600-4300

www.HanaFood.org