Resources
Updated: 8/18/2020
Below are a list of resources available. Please visit this page often as we will be updating it regularly as more resources become available, including information from our Hotel Industry Credit Union and Local 5’s Hardship Fund.
*Update:
– City and County of Honolulu Household Hardship Relief Fund (HHRF) Program under “Financial Resources”
Action Alerts
CALL TO ACTION: Moratorium needed on rents and mortgages
The Honolulu Tenants Union is asking that residents who believe that housing is a human right to contact Governor Ige and Mayor Caldwell and demand rent and mortgage moratoriums during the COVID-19 pandemic. Visit their website to get involved.
COVID-19 related Resources in Multiple Languages
Financial Resources
Hardship assistance for Hotel & Travel Industry Federal Credit Union Members: https://www.htifcu.com/coronavirus-update/
Financial counseling available to current Hotel and Travel Industry FCU members. If you want to become a credit union member you may open an account with $25. You can call the Credit Union, M-F from 8am-4pm (808) 942-5115 ext 230. They are working remotely so please leave a message and someone will get back to you.
Guide on applying for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (as of 5/8/20)
City and County of Honolulu Household Hardship Relief Fund (HHRF) Program
Healthcare Resources
Have you lost your healthcare coverage or are about to lose it? Read this detailed PDF flyer we created with guidance on healthcare coverage.
For Maui residents – assistance from Kokua Services Partnership with applying for healthcare
Food & Grocery Assistance
Hawai’i Food Bank – Emergency Food Assistance
SNAP Benefits Application (Download Fillable PDF)
The State Department of Human Services created these flyers with information on applying for food assistance (SNAP), Med-QUEST health insurance, and childcare subsidies:
- Oahu (PDF)
- Maui (PDF)
- Kauai (PDF)
- Hawaii Island (PDF)
MAUI COUNTY: Food Distribution List
50% discounts for SNAP cardholders at Times Super Market – Any persons receiving SNAP (Food Stamps/EBT) benefits are eligible to receive 50% of locally grown produce at participating grocery stores when they present DA BUX card. Most current SNAP holders should have automatically received a Double Up Food Bucks card in the mail sent by DHS. If you have not, please contact Latonya Smith at (808)201-3937 x 14.
If your child was getting free or reduced-price school lunch during the school year, you are eligible for food purchasing assistance of up to $360 per child. The Hawai’i Department of Human Services will automatically send benefits to eligible households—you do not need to apply! Read this flyer to learn more about eligibility and other frequently asked questions.
Rent & Mortgage
State of Hawaii and Catholic Charities Hawaii Rent Relief and Housing Assistance Program (RRHAP)
Landlord/Tenant FAQ’s from Consumer Protection
Brian Schatz Website: Assistance for Renters and Homeowners
Hardship Letter Template to Landlords or Lenders
Legal Aid Society of Hawaii’s FAQ for renters and homeowners (PDF)
Federal and State Moratorium on Evictions (as of 4/28/20; has information for public housing tenants)
CALL TO ACTION: Moratorium needed on rents and mortgages
The Honolulu Tenants Union is asking that residents who believe that housing is a human right to contact Governor Ige and Mayor Caldwell and demand rent and mortgage moratoriums during the COVID-19 pandemic. Visit their website to get involved.
Domestic Violence Resources
All domestic violence shelters in Hawaii are open as usual during COVID-19. Domestic violence victims are NOT required to stay at home during COVID-19 if home is unsafe.
See the list below of the domestic violence shelter hotlines for each island. You can also download these flyers to share with your loved ones or post on social media (Flyer 1, Flyer 2, Flyer 3):
- Oahu: 808-266-7233
- Hilo: 808-959-8864
- Kona: 808-322-7233
- Kauai: 808-245-6362
- Maui: 808-579-9581
- Lanai: 808-563-0216
- Molokai: 808-567-6888
Mental Health Resources
Employee Assistance of the Pacific
24/7 hotlines:
- If you are experiencing an emergency or believe you are a danger to yourself and/or others, please call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room for immediate assistance.
- Crisis Text Line – text ALOHA to 741‐741
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – 1‐800‐273‐TALK (8255)
- Crisis Line of Hawai‛i – 832‐3100 on O‛ahu; 1‐800‐753‐6879 on neighbor islands
Activities to promote well-being
15-minute morning meditations: 6 AM live and recorded
Free yoga classes: Iyengar Yoga Honolulu, Open Space Yoga, CorePower Yoga
Stay Fit, Stay Healthy, Stay Happy
Mindfulness during Challenging Times
Five minutes of daily poetry on The Slowdown
Art therapy sessions creating daily connections
Compilation of streamed concerts
Free Things That Weren’t Free Before Coronavirus
Free audiobooks for children (multiple languages)
Free online virtual visit to 17 museums in Europe (in French)
Free online books from Cambridge Publishing until end of May
Online Broadway Musicals, all FREE
Live nature network with webcams around the world
Stream the Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s performances for free
Student Loan Relief
Childcare for Essential Workers
Family First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) Information
Immigration Resources
Due to COVID-19, our April 25 Citizenship Workshop has been cancelled. We will let you all know when the next one will be. In the meantime, if you need citizenship assistance, please contact The Legal Clinic at (808) 737-3330.
The Legal Clinic – free immigration legal services to financially-eligible immigrants and COFA* citizens in Hawaii
Flyer on Citizenship Assistance (PDF)
Understanding the Impact of Key Provisions of COVID-19 Relief Bills on Immigrant Communities (download the full PDF report here).
Immigrant Eligibility for Public Programs During COVID-19
On March 18, 2020, ICE announced that it was temporarily suspending immigration enforcement based on the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic response.ICE’s operations will focus on individuals who pose a substantial risk to public safety and have committed crimes. ICE confirmed that it would comply with its sensitive locations policy and not conduct enforcement actions “at or near health care facilities, such as hospitals, doctors’ offices, accredited health clinics, and emergent or urgent care facilities, except in the most extraordinary of circumstances.” ICE also stated that “[i]ndividuals should not avoid seeking medical care because they fear civil immigration enforcement.”
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