Progress 08/01/23 to 07/31/24

Outputs
Target Audience:During this reporting period, Hanai Ai o Wai'anae (HAOW) engaged a broadly inclusive target audience, reflecting the project's program and resource development phase. HAOW's outreach and initiatives prioritized diverse community groups to ensure a comprehensive understanding of local needs and critical gaps in the food system. Key target audiences included: Community Members: Residents of the Wai'anae Coast and adjacent areas, including Makaha, Wai'anae, Nanakuli, Kalaeloa, Kapolei, Waipahu, and Ewa Beach, particularly those living in federally designated medically underserved communities and Opportunity Zones. Farmers and Local Food Producers: Participants in events such as micro-summits and Makeke Kalaeloa Town market, where they contributed valuable insights and benefited from programs like EBT and the Da Bux initiative. Kupuna (Elderly Residents): Advocates for community gardens, which address their desire for fresh produce and promote self-sufficiency. Low-Income and Marginalized Households: Individuals and families relying on food assistance programs such as SNAP, WIC, and Produce Prescriptions, benefiting from access to fresh, locally produced food at the Makeke Kalaeloa Town market. Community Organizations and Networks: Local organizations that partnered with HAOW to identify systemic food access gaps and develop actionable solutions. Youth and Educators: Through roles like the Farmers Market Manager, who brought expertise in youth mentorship and agricultural education, the project also engaged emerging leaders in the local food system. Market Vendors and Artisans: Vendors at Makeke Kalaeloa Town market who gained professional development opportunities and increased visibility for their products. By working with these diverse groups, HAOW sought to build community capacity and identify the foundational pillars needed to strengthen the local food system. Through events like micro-summits and the launch of the Makeke Kalaeloa Town market, HAOW addressed systemic gaps in food access, education, and distribution while fostering collaboration among stakeholders. This inclusive approach has been pivotal in setting the stage for long-term solutions to food insecurity and health disparities, empowering the community to lead efforts in creating a more equitable and resilient food ecosystem. During this reporting period, Hanai Ai o Wai'anae (HAOW) engaged a broadly inclusive target audience, reflecting the project's program and resource development phase. HAOW's outreach and initiatives prioritized diverse community groups to ensure a comprehensive understanding of local needs and critical gaps in the food system. Key target audiences included: Community Members: Residents of the Wai'anae Coast and adjacent areas, including Makaha, Wai'anae, Nanakuli, Kalaeloa, Kapolei, Waipahu, and Ewa Beach, particularly those living in federally designated medically underserved communities and Opportunity Zones. Farmers and Local Food Producers: Participants in events such as micro-summits and Makeke Kalaeloa Town market, where they contributed valuable insights and benefited from programs like EBT and the Da Bux initiative. Kupuna (Elderly Residents): Advocates for community gardens, which address their desire for fresh produce and promote self-sufficiency. Low-Income and Marginalized Households: Individuals and families relying on food assistance programs such as SNAP, WIC, and Produce Prescriptions, benefiting from access to fresh, locally produced food at the Makeke Kalaeloa Town market. Community Organizations and Networks: Local organizations that partnered with HAOW to identify systemic food access gaps and develop actionable solutions. Youth and Educators: Through roles like the Farmers Market Manager, who brought expertise in youth mentorship and agricultural education, the project also engaged emerging leaders in the local food system. Market Vendors and Artisans: Vendors at Makeke Kalaeloa Town market who gained professional development opportunities and increased visibility for their products. By working with these diverse groups, HAOW sought to build community capacity and identify the foundational pillars needed to strengthen the local food system. Through events like micro-summits and the launch of the Makeke Kalaeloa Town market, HAOW addressed systemic gaps in food access, education, and distribution while fostering collaboration among stakeholders. This inclusive approach has been pivotal in setting the stage for long-term solutions to food insecurity and health disparities, empowering the community to lead efforts in creating a more equitable and resilient food ecosystem. Changes/Problems:This year, our project approach shifted significantly due to the challenges posed by limited staffing capacity, which impacted our ability to launch the planned pre-pilot projects. While we made substantial progress in identifying key focus areas and engaging the community, the staffing shortage introduced logistical and operational constraints that forced us to adjust our priorities and timelines. With a limited team, we had to make strategic choices on how to best allocate our resources, focusing on essential tasks like organizing community food summits, launching the Makeke Kalaeloa Town farmers market, and maintaining communication efforts to keep the community engaged. These core activities were critical to sustaining project momentum but required significant time and attention, which delayed the rollout of the pre-pilot projects. Although we established four pillars--community events, food education, gleaning, and community gardens--through micro summits and developed a comprehensive call for proposals, we did not have the administrative capacity to distribute funds or oversee the necessary processes for the pre-pilot projects. Distributing funds involves considerable administrative work, from proposal reviews and applicant communications to supporting awardees in setting up their projects. Without enough staff to manage these aspects, we decided to implement a phased approach, first focusing on stabilizing our current operations to keep key components like the farmers market and community summits running smoothly. We are now actively recruiting to expand our team, which will strengthen our capacity to launch the pre-pilot projects with the necessary administrative and on-the-ground support. In the meantime, we are organizing an informational event to keep the community informed, providing an overview of the pre-pilot process, our project goals, and proposal procedures. This event fosters transparency and prepares applicants to participate once funding is ready to be distributed. Moving forward, building our team is a top priority to prevent future delays, allowing us to dedicate focused support to the pre-pilot projects and offer the necessary training and technical assistance for their success. Despite the challenges, our strategic prioritization, commitment to community engagement, and team-building efforts are helping us overcome these obstacles. Our ultimate goal remains to launch these projects in a sustainable way that contributes meaningfully to a resilient, community-centered food system on the Waianae Coast. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project has provided several valuable opportunities for training and professional development, particularly through the hiring of a new Farmers Market Manager. This role has enabled the manager, who brings experience from her work at MA'O Organic Farms (a respected educational youth farm), to further develop her skills in market management, community engagement, and operational efficiency. Her background in agriculture education and youth mentorship has been instrumental in shaping a market environment that is not only efficient but also welcoming and educational for vendors and attendees alike. The transition into managing the Makeke Kalaeloa Town market has offered her the chance to expand her expertise, particularly in areas such as vendor relations, program implementation (like SNAP and WIC), and customer service. She has been able to leverage her previous knowledge of organic farming and youth programming to enhance the market's educational outreach, connecting community members to local food sources and healthy eating initiatives. In addition, as part of her role, the manager has received ongoing support from HAOW staff and collaborating partners, who provide technical assistance on topics such as grant development, program sustainability, and event planning. This has allowed her to build on her prior experience while gaining new skills that contribute to the market's success and community impact. Furthermore, the market manager's role creates a model for career development in the local food system, showing how experience in educational and agricultural roles can translate into leadership positions in community food initiatives. Her work also opens the door to mentor others within the market and the community, helping to foster a new generation of leaders in local food system resilience and management. Overall, the project's hiring and training opportunities demonstrate a commitment to developing professional pathways within the local food sector, contributing to both individual growth and broader community capacity-building. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? The results of our project have been actively disseminated to communities of interest through a variety of outreach methods: Social Media Posts: We leverage social media platforms to share updates, successes, and upcoming events related to the project. These posts have allowed us to reach a broad audience, keeping the community informed and engaged with real-time updates on the farmers market, community food summit outcomes, and available food assistance programs. Social media has also been instrumental in educating followers on healthy food access options and encouraging participation in the market. Community Wellness Workshops: Our wellness workshops serve as interactive forums where we share project outcomes directly with community members. During these sessions, we discuss topics like healthy eating, food sustainability, and food system resiliency, incorporating insights from our ongoing work and research. These workshops not only inform participants about the project's achievements but also empower them with actionable knowledge to support their own health and wellness goals. Advertisements at Makeke Kalaeloa Town Market: On-site advertising at Makeke Kalaeloa Town farmers market provides another effective channel for disseminating project results. Posters, flyers, and information booths highlight key updates, share program benefits like SNAP and WIC redemption details, and offer guidance on upcoming proposals and pilot projects. This approach reaches community members directly engaged in the food system, including both consumers and vendors. Community Partners and Networks: We regularly collaborate with local organizations and community groups to share our results. By distributing reports and summaries through partner networks, we broaden our reach to audiences that may not engage with social media or market events, ensuring our results are accessible to all interested community members. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?In the upcoming reporting period, we plan to focus on advancing our goals by launching anRFPsession to engage community members and initiate the dissemination of funds. This session will provide an opportunity for individuals and organizations within the community to submit proposals for small micro-grants aligned with our identified four pillars: community events, food education, gleaning, and community gardens. These grants are designed to empower community members to implement innovative and impactful projects that address local food system challenges and promote resiliency. To ensure the success of this initiative, we will provide clear guidance on the application process during the RFP session, including workshops or informational materials to help participants understand the proposal requirements and evaluation criteria. We also plan to offer technical assistance to applicants throughout the process to encourage widespread participation and support high-quality submissions. The funding will enable grassroots efforts to take root, fostering collaboration and sustainable solutions tailored to the needs of the Waianae Coast community. Additionally, we will continue hosting community food summits to maintain engagement and provide a platform for sharing updates, feedback, and best practices from funded projects. These summits will help sustain momentum, strengthen connections between stakeholders, and ensure alignment with our long-term goals of building a resilient, community-centered food system. Through these efforts, we aim to make tangible progress in empowering the community and addressing systemic issues within the local food network.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Goal 1: Building Community Capacity and Identifying Critical Gaps in the Food System This year, we focused on building community capacity to address food system issues through a series of micro summits hosted across various locations on the Waianae Coast. Each of micro summits that were hosted had their own demographics of community members which made for a very unique perspective. By engaging directly with community members, farmers, organizations, we created opportunities for dialogue that allowed the community to voice their needs and identify systemic gaps in local food access, distribution, and education. These gatherings proved crucial in uncovering four foundational pillars needed to strengthen our food system: Community Events: Regular community events emerged as a vital tool for fostering connection, knowledge sharing, and mutual support around food-related topics. Through these events, we aim to increase awareness of local food resources and build community-driven solutions to food insecurity. Education on Food: Community members expressed a strong interest in education on food sourcing, nutrition, and preparation. This pillar highlights the need for workshops and informational sessions to empower individuals with the knowledge to make healthier, budget-friendly food choices, and to maximize the impact of available resources, such as SNAP and WIC. Gleaning: The community identified gleaning--the collection of excess produce from backyard farmers, that otherwise would go to waste--as a key strategy to reduce food waste and distribute surplus food to those in need. This initiative has the dual benefit of supporting food security and minimizing waste, making it an effective solution that addresses both environmental and social needs. Community Gardens: Access to community gardens was highlighted as a way to promote self-sufficiency and provide fresh, affordable produce to residents but was highly requested by out kupuna (elderly). By establishing and supporting more community gardens, we hope to give individuals the means to grow their own food, learn valuable agricultural skills, and build a more resilient local food system. After establishing these pillars, we developed a call for proposals to fund pre-pilot projects that address each of these areas. Unfortunately, due to limited staffing, we experienced delays in disseminating the funding, but we are currently preparing an event to officially introduce the project, communicate the proposal procedures, and answer any questions from the community. This event will be instrumental in building excitement and ensuring that community members are well-prepared to apply for these funds. By offering guidance and clear procedures, we hope to empower organizations and individuals to contribute innovative solutions to Waianae's food system challenges. Goal 2: Expanding Access to Fresh, Locally Produced Food through Makeke Kalaeloa Town In September, we celebrated the launch of Makeke Kalaeloa Town, a new farmers' market located in Kalaeloa, which has quickly become a hub for fresh, locally produced food in the Kapolei/Ewa reigon. This market is more than just a place to purchase produce; it serves as a community gathering space and a critical source of fresh food, especially for low-income and marginalized households. Since its launch, over 25 vendors have joined the market, including farmers, food producers, and local artisans, providing a diverse range of products that meet the needs of our community. One of Makeke's most significant achievements is its pioneering approach to food assistance. It is the first farmers' market in the area to accept EBT payments, making it accessible to individuals and families who rely on government assistance to purchase food. Moreover, we piloted the Da Bux program at the market, a groundbreaking statewide initiative that doubles the purchasing power of SNAP recipients specifically for locally grown produce. This program has not only provided greater food access but has also incentivized healthier eating by making fresh fruits and vegetables more affordable. The market also accepts produce prescription redemptions, WIC benefits, and food subscription redemptions. Together, these programs create multiple access points for the community to purchase fresh, nutritious food. Since the market's inception, we have processed over $300,000 in EBT transactions and an additional $185,000 in Double Bucks through the Da Bux program, reflecting high demand and engagement from the community. These figures underscore the market's role in addressing food insecurity while supporting local farmers and food vendors, who benefit from increased revenue and visibility. Looking ahead, Makeke Kalaeloa Town will continue to prioritize quality improvement through regular feedback from market attendees and vendors. We conduct ongoing satisfaction surveys to gather insights on operations, product offerings, and market logistics, ensuring that the market remains responsive to community needs. Additionally, vendors have expressed appreciation for the market's focus on locally grown and produced goods, which not only supports their livelihoods but also strengthens Waianae's local economy and food ecosystem.

Publications