Grants, awards

Advertiser Staff

$4,000 in grants awarded

Thanks to a grant from the Beta Beta Gamma Foundation, a Big Island retreat to aid women coping with breast cancer will be held again. The O Ka Mana Ka Ho'ola project, organized under the auspices of the North Hawaii Hospice, has received an additional grant of $750 from the foundation, which combined with proceeds from a prior $2,750 grant, will underwrite a Wellness Weekend Project to assist breast cancer patients.

The foundation also granted $1,000 to RESOLVE of Hawaii, an organization that provides support and information to families coping with infertility problems, two $1,000 University of Hawai'i student scholarships, and $250 to Saint Francis School.

Habitat gets $50,000

Marriott and Renaissance Resorts Hawaii have donated $50,000 to Habitat for Humanity. The donation was a product of Marriott's "Spirit To Serve Communities" program designed to foster good deeds. Marriott selected Habitat for Humanity because of its mission to build and finance homes on O'ahu for low-income families.

The check was presented by Stan Brown, vice president, Pacific Island area Marriott International, to Jose Villa, executive director of Honolulu Habitat for Humanity last month at the Kapolei subdivision of Malu'ohai, a joint Habitat for Humanity and Department of Hawaiian Home Lands project that will provide 45 homes for Native Hawaiian families.

Easter Seals receives grants

Easter Seals Hawai'i has received the following grants to help children with special needs:

• The Nicholas & Margaret Carlozzi Foundation has given $15,000 for the ESH Kaua'i Children's Center. This program provides early intervention services for infants and toddlers with a variety of disabilities and special needs.
• The Robert F. Lange Foundation granted $10,000 for programs that provide after-school care, camping, respite and other activities for those 20 and younger, with disabilities.
• Japan pop vocal group TUBE presented a check for $3,000 to ES Youth Services for the music enrichment program it established two years ago.
  
  
  

KEY Project gets $246,600

The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation presented a check for $246,600 to KEY Project recently.

The award will support the expansion, improvement and repair of KEY's community center in Kahalu'u.

KEY, or the Kualoa-He'eia Ecumenical Youth project, an Aloha United Way agency, plans to increase services and empowerment programs for area residents at its Waihe'e Road facility, which opened in 1981.

An extension of one wing, already under way, will improve the quarters for the community development office and KEY-hole after-school program.

The Weinberg grant also will be used for landscaping, painting, better acoustics in the pavilion and renovations to the kitchen.

KEY was founded by area churches in 1968 as a one-room drop-in center for alienated teens.

It now houses an alternative learning center and reaches more than 3,000 residents of all ages in the Castle High School complex.

It was honored last year as a Community Treasure by the Hawaii Community Services Council.

Through partnerships with schools and community organizations, KEY offers individual counseling, summer youth programs, tutoring, art and literacy programs, an emergency food bank, special-interest classes, group meeting site and grassroots self-help efforts.

For more information call Bob Nakata at 239-5777.