In 2019, as part of its #CentennialServiceCampaign, Servco presented two-year loans of Toyota & Subaru vehicles to 10, 501(c)(3) nonprofits in Hawaii as part of its Nonprofit Vehicle Loan Program. Over a year has passed since the vehicles were donated and each of the organizations have been busy doing important work in the community and helping others in need, especially during the pandemic.
Here’s a one-year update on how the Toyota and Subaru vehicles have supported the 10 nonprofit organizations and the work they do:
Aloha Harvest
The Toyota Sienna has provided Aloha Harvest with an additional resource for food gleaning, harvesting, and distribution. In the first two months of Aloha Harvest’s COVID response, over 20,000 lbs. of rescued food from 20 donors was repurposed. This was used to create nearly 16,000 meals, distributed to over 27 agencies, through the help of 2,800 volunteer hours. Between April and July, Aloha Harvest had seven gleaning events out on the North Shore, producing over 2,000 lbs. of fresh produce. Volunteers harvested red leaf lettuce, summer squash, Tokyo Negi, and various other local crops. These were redistributed into the community through partners. The Sienna was also used to deliver prepared meals through Aloha Harvest’s partnership with Chef Hui and the Pacific Gateway Center. From April through December 2020, Aloha Harvest co-hosted over 200 food distribution events, distributing over 1.5 million lbs. of food to 50,000+ households.
Learn more about Aloha Harvest here.
Hawaii Island HIV/AIDS Foundation
Hawaii Island HIV/AIDS Foundation’s (HIHAF) Syringe Exchange Program (SEP) has served approximately 120-150 clients through the help of the Toyota Sienna. The Sienna has allowed HIHAF’s staff to safely transport supplies across the Big Island which helps to protect individual and community health. The SEP significantly reduces the risk of transmitting HCV and HIV in Hawaii County, and protects the health of marginalized communities and individual participants alike.
HIHAF’s Care Department serves 257 active HIV+ clients and their families. Medical Case Managers schedule delivery of food and essential services to clients in outlying areas. So far, they have been able to deliver several hundred pounds of food and 200 hot meals to clients in Ocean View and Ka’u, Kohala, Waikoloa, Waimea, Honokaa, North and South Hilo, and Puna. In outreach settings with the Sienna, the medical case managers can safely ensure clients have adequate access to programs that extend lifesaving treatment and healthcare assistance to the most vulnerable and marginalized community members. In addition, HIHAF has transported clients to and from medical appointments to maintain continuity of care.
Learn more about Hawaii Island HIV/AIDS Foundation here.
Honolulu Theatre for Youth
Honolulu Theatre for Youth (HTY) received the use of a Toyota Sienna, which has played an important role in transporting actors, puppets, equipment, props, and costumes to a variety of locations across Oahu as they produced their TV program, The HI Way.
HTY was forced to cancel all of their live theatre programs due to COVID-19, but continue to produce creative virtual content for Hawaii’s students, teachers, and families. Since March, HTY has produced 17 episodes of The HI Way, over 50 short educational videos for teachers and parents and has begun a Virtual Field Trip Program, which will bring 5 HTY productions into classrooms and homes this Spring. From March through November The HI Way was viewed over 2.5 million times.
Learn more about Honolulu Theatre for Youth here.
Kauai Economic Opportunity
For Kauai Economic Opportunity, the use of a well-running vehicle is essential for their meal delivery operations. The organization has been utilizing their Toyota Sienna to cover eight routes for homebound meal deliveries. The Sienna has rotated through each route for approximately 13 weeks at a time. It started in Hanapepe, then Kapaa, North Shore, and is now in Lihue. On these four routes together, Kauai Economic Opportunity has served 232 clients, with a total of 4,030 meals per month. Their clients look forward to daily meal deliveries as the driver may be the only person they see for the entire day. Besides delivering meals, the drivers also check on their client’s wellbeing. The Toyota Sienna will continue to rotate through routes, moving onto Koloa, Kekaha, and the town area and south side of Lihue.”
Learn more about Kauai Economic Opportunity here.
Lunalilo Home
When Lunalilo Home received their Toyota Sienna in January, their plan was to expand their meal delivery capacity by at least 200 more meals. In March, when lockdowns hit, meal deliveries became even more critical for their kupuna clients. Their kitchen went from an average of 2,000 meals in February to a peak of 14,612 meals in October. The Toyota Sienna supported extended meal deliveries to Salt Lake and other areas off their normal route. In addition to meal deliveries, the Sienna served as an important shuttle vehicle for both essential workers and clients when the City Bus system was down for two months. It allowed employees to safely get to work to provide care for the kupuna while keeping COVID-19 out of their facility. The Sienna has made a total of 528 trips so far.
Learn more about Lunalilo Home here.
Maui Ocean Center Marine Institute
With the help of a Toyota Tacoma 4×4, Maui Ocean Center Marine Institute (MOCMI) was able to respond to 272 sick or injured seat turtles in 2020 and provide the care and rehabilitation necessary for their recovery. 250 sea turtles received medical care in 2020, and 244 were successfully treated and released. In addition to sea turtle rescue and rehab, MOCMI removed over 1,000 lbs. in nets from the ocean, collected over 20 miles of fishing line, and collected damaged corals and cared for them in the coral nursery.
Learn more about Maui Ocean Center Marine Institute here.
Project Vision Hawaii
Project Vision Hawaii was able to screen the keiki at Waimea High and Waimea Canyon Middle on Kauai in March before schools were closed with the help of their Toyota Sienna. This resulted in over 160 kids receiving free professional exams and free glasses if needed. In March, Project Vision Hawaii pivoted to partner with the DOE to deliver essential supplies and educational materials to support MANY quarantined, low income school keiki and their families. Project Vision Hawaii focused their fall efforts on outreach support for Kaua’i kupuna and houseless. Through their Hui for Health program, the Toyota Sienna was used to provide vision and educational outreach at community events, Department of Health encampment outreach, and the annual Kaua’i Housing Connect event hosted by Kaua’i county. In total, the organization was able to offer vision, educational and outreach services to over 2,200 Kaua’i at-risk keiki, kupuna, and houseless in 2020.
Learn more about Project Vision Hawaii here.
Rehabilitation Hospital of the Pacific
When you or a loved one experiences an unexpected injury or illness resulting in disability, it changes life forever. Adapting to life with a disability is not easy, but Rehabilitation Hospital of the Pacific (Rehab Hospital) helps patients overcome challenges, focusing on safety and restoring function so they can return home. With the help of their Subaru Forester, Rehab Hospital was able to support optimal independence for 740 patients and their caregivers in 2020. The Forester ensured that every patient and caregiver receive free transportation training prior to discharge on how to safely enter and exit vehicles, which is helpful when adjusting to a new normal and critical to avoid falls. This training is essential for the patient as well as the caregiver, many of whom have little to no experience in caring for a loved one experiencing a disability.
Learn more about Rehabilitation Hospital of the Pacific here.
Susannah Wesley Community Center
Susannah Wesley Community Center’s (SWCC) had large plans for afterschool and school break excursions with their Toyota Sienna, as well as shuttles for league basketball games. Faced with lockdowns and social distancing requirements, SWCC focused on food pantry purchases and transporting smaller groups to and from their center for distance learning, taking food to families, and picking up supplies. SWCC’s Food Pantry not only saw an increase in the number of people served but also a change in demographics. Prior to the pandemic, the Food Pantry served kupuna. Now they have been seeing more younger families. In November, SWCC took three youth on a trip around Kalihi. At each spot, they were asked what made the location so special to them. They recalled memories of community gatherings and special friendships they had made.
Learn more about Susannah Wesley Community Center here.
Touch a Heart
In March, Touch a Heart pivoted its operations to preparing and selling weekly meal sets that were affordable, safe, and convenient for the community. Through their Kupuna & Family Meals, they offered three heat-and-eat meals and ala carte Baker’s Heart desserts available for pickup every Wednesday. Moreover, Touch a Heart has continued its food services vocational training program with smaller cohorts to allow for physical distancing. With many of their recent graduates facing a tougher job market, Touch a Heart added an apprenticeship program to provide more intensive training with the goal of giving them a competitive edge as they prepare to enter the workforce. Proceeds from all sales went back into their programs so they can continue training more individuals facing barriers to employment. In 2020, Touch a Heart recognized 14 food services vocational training program graduates, nine trained apprentices, nearly 20,000 meals sold and 1,400 meals donated.
Learn more about Touch a Heart here.