Aloha Members of the County Council,
I am writing in support of the funding for the Hui No‘eau’s Youth & Family Art and Art with Aloha Programs, which are listed as line items in the Mayor’s Proposed FY2022 Budget.
As the Executive Director of Hui No‘eau, a life-long Maui resident, and a parent, I feel strongly that Hui No‘eau Visual Arts Center is an asset to the community. We reach around 20,000 people each year, including 5,000 children.
Our Art with Aloha and Youth & Family Programs are two of our most important offerings and reach participants on all islands of Maui County. These programs foster cultural awareness and appreciation, help shape the next generation of creative thinkers and business leaders, and create opportunities for Maui citizens to learn and connect with one another in uplifting ways. Here are a few recent testimonials that speak to the meaning these programs have on our children and community:
“So nice to have a great art program when so many of our schools are cutting back on their art budgets. My granddaughters love the staff, the fun projects and the positive environment.”
“The Hui is an amazing resource that serves the community. They made it possible for our art loving daughter to attend the camp by gifting her a scholarship. She enjoyed every second of it and has been recreating techniques she learned in camp in many different ways. A wonderful program with amazing teachers.”
“I am thrilled to partner with Hui No‘eau Visual Arts Center to distribute art kits to the children we serve in our Homeless Shelters. We strongly support this collaboration with the Hui and know it will be very beneficial to the children. Art is powerful. Painting, coloring, drawing, designing, and crafting help them to get out the feelings and ideas they are having and sometimes the hurt they feel in their hearts. I am so grateful for the kindness and generosity being offered by Hui No‘eau Visual Arts Center.” -Misty Bannister, Children's Services Coordinator, Ka Hale A Ke Ola Homeless Resource Centers
“My virtual learners loved having "real art" materials to use just like when things were pre Covid. I asked every child if they would like to participate in another- and EVERY child said yes!- of course!” -3rd grade teacher at Haiku Elementary School
Throughout this pandemic, Hui No‘eau has remained of service to the community, recognizing that creativity, self-expression, and culture are vital to our overall health and well-being. Hui No‘eau is also an important contributor to our creative economy, providing job opportunities for our cultural practitioners and local arts educators, while also teaching new entrepreneurial skills to our local community.
We are incredibly grateful for your past support and we look forward to continuing to provide high-quality educational programs for the community throughout the pandemic and our recovery.
Mahalo,
Anne-Marie Forsythe
Executive Director
Hui No‘eau Visual Arts Center

Aloha,
Maui Food Hub is one of the best things to have come out of this pandemic. It is truly for the residents by residents. Please support this in any way you can. I order weekly now and have adjusted my grocery shopping accordingly because buying local is so important and I am so excited to finally have an outlet to do so. Please support them, they work so hard and the money goes right back into our community the way all county-supported programs should.

Mahalo,
Dana Fulton, Makawao

Please approve the proposed funding for the Maui Hub. I am writing in full support of the Maui Hub. I have been a Maui resident for over a decade and I believe the Maui Hub is one of the best examples of scalable and effective grassroots initiatives that our island has seen in recent years. The need for accessible, healthy, local food options combined with the opportunity to support a sustainable local food growth/production industry was clear, and was highlighted in the face of the COVID pandemic. The Maui Hub answered this need, and quickly filled a gap in the food supply chain on Maui, connecting our residents directly to the wonderful, sustainable, products of our local food growers/suppliers in a straightforward, accessible way. Their work to ensure that their service/products would be available to those that might otherwise face food instability and/or be unable to afford to purchase food directly from local growers (ie. accepting EBT) is a huge step in supporting a healthier, stronger, more sustainable food system on Maui.
Emily Koenig, Kihei

Aloha,
I strongly support funding the Maui Food Hub. This is a wonderful organization and it’s helping farmers and consumers alike. Expanding this program helps everyone on island.
It’s a vital step toward food security.
Mahalo,
Ms. Barbara Barry
Ha’ikū

Please approve funding for Maui Hub. It has been vital to giving community 100% safe access to produce & local products during the pandemic,supports local farmers, saves shoppers time & reduces auto pollution on island
Judi Nicholson, Pukalani

Aloha, my name is Jessica Kapoor and I am a 10 year Maui resident and small business owner. I fully support the proposed funding for the Maui Hub. As both a personal user and a vendor, the Maui Hub has been an invaluable resource in providing local food to me and my community. I feel safer buying my produce and local items through this service as COVID Is still a real concern in my community and in Lahaina where stores are packed with visitors, I feel much safer buying groceries through Maui Hub. It’s important to me to shop local to support my community. Maui Hub only sells, locally grown and made products, a tremendous resource for me to know that every dollar I spend there is supporting my friends and neighbors. As a small business owner, the pandemic brought a multitude of challenges and Maui Hub has been amazing to work with and has helped me keep my business viable. They have a vast and valuable island wide network of buyers, focused on shopping local, that I wouldn’t have been able to reach in any other way. This is an extremely important service to our community that I will be supporting for a long time.

Jessica Kapoor
Owner, Sweet On Maui
Jessica@sweetonmaui.com

Have very much enjoyed using the Maui hub since it’s beginning & have been pleased to see it grow. I also know the farmers love it! Am very much hoping the Council sees fit to allot considerable monies to enable continuation and expansion of this great community program .
Mahalo

Aloha, Maui Hub is extremely important to our household. Farm fresh vegetables along with a large variety of edible items has been a "huge plus" for us. The staff at Maui Hub are very helpful, friendly, & always available & open to the customers' needs. Questions or any other situation should arise, the Maui Hub employees come to the rescue of any situation. Maui Hub most definitely should expand if they can from the Maui County Council. Maui Hub is an entity like none before, it would be a huge blessing for the Maui County Council to benefit Maui Hub, who is "highly benefial" for our local farmers and local residents alike. Should any council member have a doubt, you folks have no idea what you're missing. During these uncertain, often scary times of pandemic; .Maui Hub has closed any fear by offering the most fresh fruits, vegetables & other basic food needs that no one else has ever come close to. Maui Hub has been a "saving grace" for their clients (customers); the farmers as well. One could only imagine how much waste the farmers may have suffered if not for the "exceptional professional courtesies of the Maui Hub" doing exactly as they state they will, always helping the Maui Community with pleasant solutions working between local farmers & the County of Maui community. Maui Hub has filled a huge gap we would love to see continue even once the pandemic is over. Maui Hub has treated us exceptionally great during a time we most likely would have gone without fresh produce. Personally, my immunity has not been healthy enough to allow me unable to shop for the large variety of farm fresh vegetables & fruits during a time I would NOT have been able to have in our household if it were NOT for the tremendous "friendly service" Maui Hub provides. There could never be a way to thank them for stepping up at a "crucial time" for all Maui County Community, not to mention the saving grace for farmers who otherwise would have lost crops only go further burden Maui County losses which most likely would have cost the Maui County in the long run. Maui Hub has prevented many farmers from completely losing their livelihoods of which the Maui farmers work 365 days per year maintaining produce of high quality we are so fortunate to have. The hard work of local Maui farmers & Maui Hub offering to the publlc (especially at a crucial time for everyone in the Maui County area). If Maui Hub is given the funds to grow & expand that would be a tremendous blessing for every Maui County resident, possibly a visitor or few. Health is gained through diet more than medications, a great thank you to each individual at Maui Hub for helping Maui County residents maintain healthy fresh produce & more since they began this wonderful program. I would stand behind each Maui County Council member in the future who votes to assist in funding Maui Hub so they may expand & improve their resources to make an already positive program for each resident of Maui County to further expand into much better, larger volume of all Maui Hub provides for both "farmer fresh produce to waiting hungry consumers". Farmers whose crops likely would be lost (a deficit for the County of Maui) to residents who appreciate a Maui Hub has ultimately filled a large gap for. Maui Hub is a blessing & too much more to mention. We do watch how each member votes through a large variety of programs put before them. Each Maui County Coucil member who votes to assist this healthly life saving cause for so many will most definitely seal our vote as each Council member comes up for re-election.
It is rare or naught I ever promise anyone in politics my vote, this however, is special & far more exceptional than mere words could ever express. We feel very strongly in these unselfish persons (at Maui Hub) providing weekly for Maui residents & farmers. Thank you very much (Mahalo Nui Loa) for your time & consideration regarding a positive outcome for Maui Hub, a true blessing in time of need.
As always, much Aloha,
V.L. INOUYE
Hawaii Destination Specialist,
Hawaii Visitor's Bureau
mauiplay3@gmail.com
hawaiiangiftboutique@yahoo.com
vlb84@yahoo.com
Former Hawaii State Real Estate
Hawaii Destination Management Co.
*Maui is special due to the varied qualities of hardworking people who know no weekends or specific hours, to our many visitors, each moment of their Maui vacation should run smoothly without a hitch, bump in the road, etc. A well informed visitor are normally perfect guests who value each moment of their time on Maui County. Should any visitor have a bump or problem, we have been available 24/7 since 1985 to smooth any bumps that should never occur. (Yes, we have taken time to visit each island, cruise the islands & far more to the South Pacific, polynesian ties to each island community.) Personally, I lived on Kauai island from 9/82-9/84, two year temporary lateral transfer for the old Surf resorts. Our islands have so much to offer & be the vast array of resorts, beaches, Hawaiian Cuisine, amazing culture found no other place on planet earth.
We are united & work "together" to provide our visitors their "Ultimate Dream Vacations" while continous support of each excursion, activity, vendor on each island of the amazing "Hawaiian Chain of Islands".
Again, I thank you for your time & consideration for a very positive outcome for the amazing organization of healthy benefits Maui Hub provides through unselfish hard work of people working within Maui Hub to ease each resident of Maui County through their weekly offers of "farmer fresh produce & more" to benefit via Maui Hub. Maui Hub benefits all residents, local farmers & more.
Thank you for hearing my words.

Writing in support of funding for Maui Hub. For those of us who desire fresh and local produce (and other products) who also suffer social anxiety, Maui Hub is a local lifesaver. Being able to "go" to the farmers' market without the crowds or excessive interaction is what I love most. But the price and quality and knowing that my food dollars are supporting farmers in the community makes it that much better. Many of these farms may not have made it were it not for Maui Hub creating a direct to table model during such a transformative time. It's important that we support the businesses that support us in so many ways. Mentally. Physically. Socially (distant:).

I completely support more funding for Maui Hub. Its a necessity for our community and it took a group of very dedicated people to make it happen. We should be funding that passion and emergence during challenged times. Maui Hub is food security, its making a crucial connection between farmer and regular people like me and my family. Our diets changed have changed for the better, we eat way more produce and plan our meals around it. Grown here not flown here is a smart investment. Please get more funding to Maui Hub.

I fully support more funding for the Maui Food Hub. They provide an easy and convenient way to purchase fresh, healthy food at reasonable prices. They are especially important for EBT card users, who can get more for their money using Da Bux program. My family members are so grateful for this. Local farmers and food producers also benefit by getting to keep more money to enhance their own businesses and lives. This is an overall win situation for everyone involved. I would also like to see the program expanded so that more people can pick up groceries on more days, and in more locations. Mahalo!

I totally support funding Maui Food Hub to the fullest extent possible. I have been a weekly customer since the venture launched and have never been disappointed in the Hub's produce or service. For the first time in my decade of living on Maui, residents enjoy access to produce of the variety and quality formerly reserved for hotels and fine restaurants. Who even knew that Maui farmers grow stuff like fennel and radicchio?! I think that the Hub is already making an important contribution to economic diversification, food security, and employment opportunities for residents. That contribution can only grow if the Hub turns pro and expands its service, as planned/hoped for. Please provide the funding to make that happen.

I strongly support funding for Maui Food Hub, they provide income for farms, workers and encourage healthy eating habits for all residents.

I support funding for Maui Hub. It’s one of the best things to happen on Maui this past year. It’s a win / win! Aloha!

I support further financial aid for Maui Hub. It has been a joy to be able to help local farmers and small businesses through their services over the past year. I will continue to utilize their services as long as they are open. For them to be able to expand and serve more areas would be incredible for the farmers and locals alike.
Please continue to support them!
Mahalo!
Laurie Valentine

Maui hub is one of the best new business models on this island. Please make county and or state funds available for this wonderful new way of getting fresh local food from our farmers to our aina. I support this effort by the maui hub to step in and fulfill the need to get healthy produce to the people. Remember we are a Blue Zone and we need to do everything in our power to help the population achieve health thru nutrition.

I support Maui Hub, please consider their budget request. They have been a wonderful source for local produce for myself and my mother. I am a full time caregiver for my mother who is wheelchair bound and also work full time from home. Maui Hub has offered us the opportunity to pick up local, fresh produce without going to a farmers market which is not always an option for us. Not only is this more convenient for our situation, it is also more cost effective for us than shopping at a grocery store and getting food that was shipped in. Please support Maui Hub, they have been wonderful and I will gladly continue to support our local community. Aloha, Stephanie & Mom

I support funding for Maui Hub. It's important to support our local growers and become less reliant on shipping produce to the islands. This pandemic has taught us the need to be self reliant and the importance of developing non-tourism based economies. I really appreciate the fresh, nutritious produce I purchase via Maui Hub.

I Support the expansion of funding to Maui Hub. Given all the issues facing our county -- from income inequality to food insecurity to obesity, this program is a cost effective way to address many of them.

I support more funding for the Maui Food Hub! It has been an amazing program through the pandemic and now moving forward it’s a crucial organization to keep helping local farmers, keep our community food security strong and an important program toward building a more self sustainable island. Please vote to support more funding for Maui Food Hub! Aloha and Mahalo!