LOCATION
Honolulu, Hawaiʻi

PARTNER ORGANIZATION
Kākoʻo ʻŌiwi

IMPACT TYPE
Aloha ʻĀina, Cultural Program

DETAILS

HNC (DAWSON) made a major donation to fund the launch of the Kalo 4 Kūpuna program, which will provide nutritious poi and/or kalo (taro) to Native Hawaiian kūpuna (elders) on the island of Oʻahu. The idea for Kalo 4 Kūpuna was initially developed by HNC to help build food security in the Hawaiian community via traditional food sources while supporting sustainable agriculture. HNC’s donation also provides funding for completion of the Opu Nui Center, which includes a commercial poi mill, a commercial kitchen, and a resource hub for researchers and educators alike. This complex is designed to help build economic capacity by offering critical resources to further community development toward local resilience. To date, Kākoʻo ʻŌiwi has produced over 50,000 pounds of kalo and poi. With the groundbreaking of the Poi Mill in 2020, the organization anticipates a significant increase in production and sales of poi and other kalo products.