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Blog & News

GHH Reentry & Restoration Summit: "An Ideal Time to Affect Positive Change in the System"

8/23/2023

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Photo credit: L Ruminski
On Wednesday, August 23, 300 participants from government, private and nonprofit organizations and community members convened at the King Kamehameha Kona Beach Resort to discuss ways of ending the cycle of recidivism through housing solutions, healthcare, employment, and community safety. Read the West Hawaii Today article or copy.
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second chance month sign waving

4/14/2023

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Join us in celebrating Second Chance Month 2023 and recognizing all those supporting the safe and successful reentry of millions of people returning from incarceration each year. A sign-making event will be held a few days prior. Learn more.
  • Friday, April 21st
  • 3 pm - 6 pm
  • Meet at Kamehameha Statue @ 3 pm
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Justice-involved homeless intergovernmental collaboration

12/15/2022

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Adapted from the Oversight Coordinator Monthly Reports for December 15th, 2022:
     GHH leadership met with Hawaii Correctional System Oversight Commission Chair Mark Patterson, Commission Member Theodore Sakai, and Oversight Coordinator Christin Johnson on October 12th, 2022, to discuss concerns regarding justice-involved homeless individuals, specifically within the jail and prison system. Since 2004, the Hawai`i Island Going Home Consortium has been leading efforts to provide innovative and culturally responsive reentry and reintegration services to justice-involved individuals, their families, and communities.
     GHH has taken the initiative to develop a strategy for intergovernmental collaboration meetings leading up to a Reentry Housing Summit in April 2023. The Coordinator and Commission will be an active part in the intergovernmental collaboration and staff will attend the Reentry Housing Summit.
     Full December 2022 Report.

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Chamber gift baskets support Going Home Hawaii families

12/9/2022

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Members of the Hawaii Chamber of Commerce in festive holiday gear together with Going Home Hawaii staff in black GHH t-shirts hold gift baskets and bags beautifully decorated with shiny bows, holiday gift paper or bags, and full of enticing items.
Members of the Hawaii Chamber of Commerce delivered 26 gaily decorated gift baskets to the GHH office in Hilo.
 Read article in The Hawaii Tribune-Herald here. Photograph by Michele Mitsumori.

Member businesses, supporters and friends of the Hawaii Island Chamber of Commerce recently provided “Chamber Holiday Angels” family gift baskets for all 26 families currently serviced by Going Home Hawaii.


The chamber’s Social Committee selects a member nonprofit organization each year as the recipient of this annual Chamber Holiday Angels activity.

The gift baskets were delivered to Going Home Hawaii, where staff will be distributing them to each Going Home family who will receive a basket full of books, games, treats and supplies for family-related activities that they will be able to enjoy together during this holiday season, including “Family Pizza Party,” “Family Gardening,” “Family Reading Night,” “Outdoor Adventures,” “Family Baking Night” or “Space and Astronomy.”
Hawaii Island Going Home Consortium provides innovative and culturally responsive reentry and reintegration services to justice-involved individuals and their families.

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GHH Presents at HI State Monthly webinar on homelessness

10/24/2022

 
Photo of Honolulu apartment towers against the sunset with state seal of Hawaii and the seal of the Hawaii Interagency Council on Homelessness. The title of the presentation is
     The Governor’s Coordinator on Homelessness convenes monthly webinar sessions on topics related to homelessness and behavioral health, including topics specific to providing these services in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.  The monthly webinars are an extension of the Behavioral Health and Homelessness Statewide Unified Response Group (BHHSURG). For more information about the monthly webinars, including suggestions for topics, please contact Homelessness Assistant Justin Limasa at (808) 586-0193 or by e-mail at gov.homelessness@hawaii.gov.
     The October's webinar on the topic of Institutional Reentry and Housing Needs featured GHH CEO Les Estrella, RYSE Diversion (Nemesis Nichols) and Beyond Bars Program (Tadia Rice). Webinar Recording. Presentation Materials.

GHH in Community Alliance partners' 2022 election questionnaire

7/26/2022

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Community Alliance Partners (CAP) has published their 2022 Election Questionnaire, which invited candidates running for a range of offices to respond to questions about housing and homelessness. The questionnaire was developed and facilitated by CAP, a coalition of non-profit, government, business and community stakeholders and volunteers committed to ending homelessness of Hawai`i Island.

In sharing their views on ending homelessness, several candidates cited the work of Going Home Hawai`i, in the order listed in the Election Questionnaire:

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LAURA ACASIO
Candidate for State Senate, District 1

"I applaud CAP's strategic plan. ... I know it takes knowledge and support from elected officials to achieve these goals and therefore it is my duty to stay connected and informed with those who have boots-on-the-ground as service providers ... I am grateful to the people behind Hope Services, Hawaii Island Home for Recovery, Going Home Hawaii, Care Hawaii, Bay Clinic, Neighborhood Place of Puna, Ulu Wini, Men of Pa` and the many, many more hands that help take care of our houseless neighbors."

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ASHLEY LEHAULANI KIERKIEWICZ
Candidate for County Council, District 4

"I appreciate the collaboration various local organizations to tackle the issue of homelessness in a holistic way. HOPE Services, Neighborhood Place of Puna, Habitat for Humanity, Interfaith Communities in Action, BISAC, Uluwini, Going Home Hawai`i, and OHCD are some of the stakeholders working hand-in-hand to provide wrap around support for homeless individuals and `ohana."
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CINDY EVANS
Candidate for County Council, District 9

"I attend meetings of Going Home Consortium and Partners in Development North Kohala and hear about organizations assisting community members."

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Going Home on "Health is everywhere with dr. kimo"

6/23/2022

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Show Details: Going Home Hawaii & The Men of Pa'a: Les Estrella, Going Home Hawaii; Carlos, Ian, Rick of the Men of Pa'a. -- The health of our environment has a trickle-down effect which eventually impacts our individual health. The guests talk about the social determinants of health and their expertise in bettering our environment to enhance good health for everyone-everywhere. Watch here.
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April 2022 is Second Chance Month!

4/12/2022

 
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We believe that everyone has dignity and potential and deserves a second chance.  Former incarceration and involvement in the criminal legal system should not stop anyone from having equal access to opportunities that can stabilize and improve their lives.  Our collective efforts continue to make our communities safer and healthier by reducing crime, recidivism, and reforming the justice and carceral system that foster disparate treatment to disadvantaged communities.  Our participation directly contributes to our vision of "Embracing our culture of E Ho`okanaka, persons of worth, we as Hawai`i fulfill our promise of equity and inclusion to all who are justice involved, through pathways of health, healing and aloha."

Going Home Hawaii is honored to be recognized through Mayor Mitch Roth's Proclamation of April 2022 as Second Chance Month.

Read the White House's Proclamation on Second Chance Month.

[in the news] Going Home Hawaii seeks to ‘break the cycle of recidivism’ for those leaving the justice system and reentering society

11/2/2021

 
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Going Home was featured in Big Island Times in an article by Emily Bevard titled, "Going Home Hawaii Seeks to 'Break the Cycle of Recidivism' for Those Leaving the Justice System and Reentering Society."

The organization, CEO Les Estrella said, exists for the community to have a safe space for all to enjoy. By assisting formerly incarcerated individuals and their families, he said they can break up the cycle of recidivism and improve safety in the community.

While the state’s recidivism rate currently sits at about 60%, Estrella said programs like Going Home Hawaii reduce the rate to around 15 to 20%.

“It’s cost-effective to put money and resources into community programs that help to transform people into contributing members, instead of putting them away to come back out again and commit another crime,” Estrella said.

Read the full article.

[in the news] secrets of success after prison

4/5/2021

 
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“[Reentry support] is not just about helping the individual transition successfully, but caring for our community itself.”
Les Estrella, GHH CEO
in "Secrets of Success After Prison"

Learn more about justice-involved individuals changing their lives with the help of supportive programs and caring employers across the state in "Secrets of Success After Prison" by Beverly Creamer in HawaiiBusiness Magazine.
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Going Home Hawai'i  
East Hawai`i Office
80 Pauahi St., Suite #203,  Hilo, HI  96720
Tel: (808) 491-2437       Fax: (808) 498-0315

West Hawai`i Office
75-5708 Alahou Street, Apt 2C, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740 
Tel: (808) 464-4003     Fax: (808) 464-4288
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