Sowing seeds of service

“Even though our economy has been hit, people are really speaking out,” Choy notes. “They’re finding ways to help, whether that’s submitting testimony, voicing their support for certain bills or talking with the community about what needs to be done. That’s really been the most fulfilling thing—seeing us work with different organizations and partners to find a solution to our problems we’re facing right now.”

To that end, Hawaiʻi Appleseed has been focusing on raising the minimum wage, addressing affordable housing and hunger (specifically free/reduced-price school meals), and making sure everyone has access to quality medical care.

“What’s really great about the organization is that it’s really focused on cross-sector collaboration,” Choy shares. “You can’t have the government calling the shots on everything. You need input from the business community, social service providers. other nonprofit partners, etc. Our work is to bring all these different sectors together and create lasting solutions and changes.”