December 19, 2012

 

 

 

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

  

WAIMANALO - At this year's Halii Christmas Event in Waimanalo, HCA was joined by Honsador Lumber and Bank2 in giving the gift of financial education.  The annual event was coordinated by the Waimanalo community with support from Hui Hoomalu of Partners in Development Foundation and featured free food, gifts, music, and access to various service providers. 

 

During the evening 100 Waimanalo families completed HCA's Budget Bingo game to recieve a Honsador gift bag with information on their home building products and a free HCA Kahua Waiwai: Building a Foundation of Wealth(c) financial education handbook.   All Kahua Waiwai handbooks were purchased by Bank2, a Chicksaw native-owned and operated bank from Oklahoma, for free distribution during the event, including a donation of 3 handbooks to the Blanche Pope Elementary School Library for continued use by its students.

 

  "(Bank2) can really see the difference financial literacy training makes in delinquencies and foreclosures of our families," says Bank2 President, Rod Whitson, noting the importance of educating future generations in order to build homeowners today for tomorrow.  "It's really simple: people with financial literacy training know exactly what they are getting into before they buy their home.  They are clear on the benefits, costs, and the sacrifices.  Simply put - they are ready for homeownership."

 

Bank2's donation for the Halii Christmas Event is part of a larger contribution the native bank has made to HCA supporting the delivery of free Kahua Waiwai Financial Education to 500 Native Hawaiian youth and families over the next 3 years.

 

"We are honored to have the generous, long-term investments of Bank2 and Honsador Lumber, institutions that share the same values and perspective as HCA.  Their commitment to Hawaiian youth and families is major step in building generational homeownership in our community," says HCA Executive Director, Jeff Gilbreath.

 

HCA's Kahua Waiwai Youth Financial Education program was established in 2009 and serves approximately 100 low-income youth annually using its place-based, youth-developed Kahua Waiwai: Building a Foundation of Wealth(c) curriculum.  The program educates Hawaii youth through community outreach/public education events, group workshops, and match savings accounts.

 

For more information about HCA's youth financial education program  call (toll-free) 1.866.400.1116 or visit HawaiianCommunity.net.

 

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Hawaiian Community Assets is a HUD-approved housing counseling agency and Native Community Development Financial Institution that builds the capacity of low- and moderate-income communities to achieve and sustain economic self-sufficiency with a particular focus on Native Hawaiians.  Our philosophy supports permanent housing, culturally-relevant financial education, and asset building programs to achieve our mission.