Helping Hands Hawai‘i: 50 Years of Serving the Most Vulnerable

Helping Hands Hawai‘i has helped local residents deal with food insecurity, disabilities, language barriers and shortages of school and home supplies since its founding in 1974.

“We provide critical social services to improve people’s quality of life and empower them on their path to a better tomorrow,” says Susan Furuta, CEO of Helping Hands Hawai‘i, a job formerly held by U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz.

The nonprofit served over 14,000 individuals in 2023, she says. For instance, its Community Clearinghouse provides free household items like furniture, cookware, bedding and toiletries, plus training, financial assistance, school supplies and support during the holiday season.

HHH’s SNAP Outreach helps people sign up for the government assistance program previously known as food stamps. Furuta says SNAP applications were up 64% last year over the year before.

The nonprofit’s 65 to 70 employees are supported by volunteers, who logged over 1,900 hours in 2023.

Furuta, who has been with Helping Hands Hawai‘i for 23 years and served as CEO for five, emphasizes the importance of diversified funding. Government support, grants and individual donations account for more than half of the group’s funding, while fee-for-service programs like the Bilingual Access Line bring in more money.

Lauren Faue, an advocate at the Domestic Violence Action Center, relies on the Bilingual Access Line to support her clients with limited English proficiency. The service provides live interpreters fluent in 18 languages. Faue stresses the importance of interpreters who provide not just translation but also contextual and cultural understanding.

“It’s one thing to have someone who can interpret what I’m saying and just translate, but because we’re dealing with really sensitive issues, it’s really important to have a trauma-informed interpreter, someone who’s friendly and approachable and really understands that what we’re talking about is hard and can bring that trauma-informed approach.”

Furuta’s commitment to public service, nurtured in the tight-knit ‘Ewa plantation community where she was raised, is supported by her extensive experience in human resources and hospitality.

“I have always felt very close to the community. I think I first started volunteering when I taught vacation Bible school in eighth grade at my church, and then I’ve led a life of volunteering. These opportunities, combined with my studies academically at the University of Hawai‘i, took me to a path where I was going to work with people naturally.”

Helping Hands Hawai‘i welcomes donations and volunteers. Learn more at helpinghandshawaii.org.