COVID-19 budget moves out for passage, but not without controversy
The allocations of the federal aid money drew criticism from social service agencies while the process of adopting the budget measure, using a method called gut-and-replace, riled others.
Social service workers rally at state Capitol
Lawmakers say they will use $635 million in CARES Act funds to assist the unemployed and local businesses, but advocates say it’s still not enough.
Extra help urged for Hawaiʻi renters who face eviction due to COVID-19 pandemic
The situation for renters is likely to get worse in the coming months, especially after the $600 boost to federal unemployment benefits expires July 31.
COVID-19’s created an economic burden for women
"It's constant disruption and multitasking, feeling like you're failing at all of them at the same time," says a mother of two who's also working full time.
Hawaiʻi’s food insecurity an urgent problem
Lawmakers and others should be taking a hard look at short-term fixes as well as long-term solutions for food insecurity.
Hawaiʻi nonprofits want more say in how state spends federal virus aid
More than 60 nonprofits want the state to expand its safety net to help immigrants and other marginalized groups.
Nonprofits from Waiʻanae to Kaneʻohe offer more free meals for keiki
The meals for children are to replace breakfasts and lunches they normally would receive if public schools were in session and not closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Nonprofits including YMCA offer free lunches to keiki on Oʻahu
Nonprofit groups are offering free grab-and-go lunches to children at various sites on Oʻahu to supplement those being offered at many public schools by the DOE.
Community groups offer free lunch to kids
The grab-and-go meals at a handful of sites around Oʻahu supplement the DOE’s own meal service which began this week while schools are closed.
Every keiki needs a (healthy) breakfast
It's up to all of us to ensure that our keiki have the nutrition they need to be academically successful and healthy.
Aim higher for Hawaiʻi’s minimum wage
Job losses have not been linked to past raises. The EITC has not sufficiently offset poverty levels. Nearly half the population barely gets by.
Minimum wage hike bill advances, but critics say it’s still not enough
A bill to hike Hawaiʻi’s minimum wage is moving to the full house, but critics say it still falls short of what a person needs to live in the 50th state.
Hawaiʻi home to lowest school breakfast participation in U.S.
Fewer than 40 low-income children in Hawaiʻi ate school breakfast for every 100 that received free or reduced-price school lunch last school year.
Is an $868,000 home affordable? Hawaiʻi senators say no
Advocates voiced forceful opposition to a so-called affordable housing bill they say is far from affordable. A committee of lawmakers took their side.
Let’s not roll back on Hawaiʻi schools’ healthy lunch strides
We need to stand up to the Trump Administration’s misguided attempts to weaken nutrition standards.
A dream deferred: A week after Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the war on the poor continues
On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court voted 5-4 to allow the Trump Administration to enforce a rule which makes it harder for poor immigrants to be granted green cards or visas.
Civil Cafe 2020 legislative preview rehashes minimum wage, homelessness
While it is terrific that state legislators acknowledge that the cost of living is out of reach for most Hawaiʻi residents, it is also clear that the proposed $13 an hour is not a “livable wage.”
Name in the news: Daniela Spoto, Hawaiʻi Appleseed’s anti-hunger director
In a just-released report, the nonprofit’s assessment of the problem is illustrated with three pillars: access to resources, health and nutrition, and community resilience.
Advocates rally at the Capitol to demand higher minimum wage
Signs read, “Don’t make me leave Hawaiʻi,” echoing the frustration from advocates for raising the minimum.
Hawaiʻi’s economy will benefit from a higher minimum wage
Opponents can only make disingenuous arguments that rely on irrelevant information.