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Investing in Sustainability
Since 2002, the One Island team's efforts have been bringing education, rural development, and sustainability resources to West Hawaii.
Tell Us Your Story
One Island and its parent 501c3 non-profit organization, Heritage Ranch, have invested over $2 million in federal and state grant funding in West Hawaii over the past ten years. Since opening the gates of our learning center in 2009, and launching educational programs in 2010, we've been testing community engagement models that connect our community to teachers and resources aimed at increasing sustainability capacities. Did the programs make a difference in your life? If so, send us a testimonial at [email protected] or take the Sustainability Survey on the left and add your comments.
Solar Refrigeration and Electric Grant Recipient
The Good Works
As a non-profit program, 100% of our grant funding has been focused on increasing access to education and tools that improve the quality of rural life in West Hawaii. We have served a cross section of the community from the lowest income families to students, the disabled and seniors, to those wanting to adopt more sustainable lifestyles. Over 4,500 West Hawaii residents have benefited from our programs and 100% of the $2,064,900 in federal and state funding has been invested in projects that have yielded measurable positive results.
Local Grants for Families, Farms and Non-profits
 One Island has distributed $1,209,500 in direct grants and technical support to our local region in the form of equipment, education and materials support for increasing sustainable living practices. The remainder of the funding has been invested in direct services to rural households, schools, non-profits, farms and small businesses.
We've brought solar energy, online learning, food gardens and innovative sustainability education programs to 286 grant recipients, 674 workshop participants, 1,045 festival attendees, 5 senior / food bank and disabled programs, 26 small farms, and 392 Hawaii students. Over 1300 people receive our educational monthly newsletter now on Issue 21 and our web site and Facebook pages are viewed by folks from around the world.
Serving Those Most In Need
 Two Native Hawaiian fishing villages, Ho'okena and Miloli'i, are direct grant recipients with 58 families and a community center eligible for One Island solar oven, gardening, or solar electric and refrigeration grants. We are helping those in the most need improve their quality of life, health and safety.
4,500 People, 28 Green Jobs, 10,800 Volunteer Hours
We've now served over 4,500 people, created 28 green jobs, and have invested over 10,800 local and visiting volunteer hours in local programs and school gardens. Our immediate focus is to bring more tools and resources to the most underserved areas of West Hawaii.
Improving Rural Infrastructure
All of this work has improved the quality of life, lowered the cost of living, and enriched a rural area where basic utility and education resources are scarce or non-existent. Plus we've secured the funding to build and staff an off-grid rural community education, demonstration, and economic development facility for the past eight years and continue to build partnerships with sister organizations.
Has One Island reached the results we aimed for?
Yes!
and we have exceeded our original goals by being responsive to local needs that we had not pre-identified but encountered in our field work and education programs.
Off-grid solar grant on ohia logs
On behalf of West Hawaii, Mahalo to the USDA Rural Development, Hawaii Department of Labor, and HUD Rural Economic Development!
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