Faint glimmers of hope appeared on the horizon last week, as economic forecasts suggested Hawai'i may recover slightly next year from the recession.

Unfortunately, "slightly" is the operative word. It's little comfort for those who have lost their jobs and income, and are struggling to pay bills, keep a roof over their heads and put food on the table.

It's critical that they stay afloat and that the non-profit agencies that help them stay afloat, too.

Fortunately, last week also brought another glimmer of hope: an example of how innovative partnerships can leverage limited charitable funds to stretch public resources.

On Wednesday, the Hawaii Community Foundation inaugurated the Hawai'i Community Stabilization Initiative, an effort to help people get available government assistance — yes, there's still some available if you know where to look — and to avoid catastrophic financial failure, including bankruptcy and foreclosure.

The $8.6 million, six-year initiative is fueled by a partnership of philanthropic and financial institutions, led by the Omidyar 'Ohana Fund. The initiative began its first phase with $892,373 in grants to nine organizations that help people get access to tax benefits, food stamps, credit counseling and mortgage foreclosure mitigation.

The grant amounts are relatively small — from $32,000 for the Salvation Army to $300,000, for Consumer Credit Counseling Services of Hawai'i — but the effect could be large.

Wendy Burkholder, executive director of CCCS Hawai'i, said that in her field the need is unprecedented: More than 2,600 families sought help from CCCS Hawai'i this year. Two years ago the number was 800. And more clients are middle-class families that simply don't make enough to survive, she said.

Avoiding bankruptcy and foreclosure now is critical to their ability to bounce back; with the right advice and support, they can recover their footing and return to a self-sufficiency that can boost the overall economy as well.

The economic recovery won't happen overnight. In the meantime, non-profits and their benefactors need to learn to combine forces to stretch their scarce dollars. HCF's stabilization initiative can help show the way.