Grants support essential health service providers

HONOLULU — Kaiser Permanente of Hawaii has awarded grants, totaling $115,000, to support 2 vital community organizations affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The grants will bolster the resiliency of Lanakila Pacific and the American Red Cross of Hawaii, which provide essential services to the state and its most vulnerable populations.

Lanakila Pacific received $90,000 to support its Meals on Wheels program. The program serves food-insecure ‘kupuna,’ or elders, and individuals with disabilities by providing them with nutritious home-delivered meals. The grant will support meal distribution for 1,200 seniors with the greatest social and economic need, including those with low incomes, limited English proficiency, and people residing in rural areas. Funding will also enable Lanakila Pacific to provide training in meal prep and delivery for employees with disabilities.

“The essential services that Lanakila Pacific and the American Red Cross provide to our communities are critical to keeping our underserved neighbors healthy today and in the future as we combat this pandemic together,” said Greg Christian, Hawaii Market president, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals. “We humbly support their missions, especially in these challenging times. As we work together in this way, we will emerge from this pandemic stronger and more resilient than before.”

Kaiser Permanente also awarded the American Red Cross of Hawaii a $25,000 grant to support donor education and increase donor turnout through virtual events. Throughout the pandemic, blood centers across the nation have experienced challenges collecting blood for patients. Low inventories of blood supply continue to concern public health officials as the delta variant spreads in the community.

These grants are the latest in a series of contributions from Kaiser Permanente of Hawaii to help residents throughout the state receive vital support services in response to the socioeconomic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, the health care organization has gifted over $3.3 million in current or planned grants to organizations serving communities across the state to support COVID-19 vaccination, address homelessness, and improve food security and economic opportunity for Hawaii’s people.

About Kaiser Permanente

Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America’s leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve approximately 12.5 million members in 8 states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal Permanente Medical Group physicians, specialists, and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery, and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education, and the support of community health.