Joyful Heart in the News

A three-month collaboration between Whole Foods Market Kahala and the Hawai‘i Children’s Trust Fund has raised $1,029 for the One Strong ‘Ohana campaign. From April through June of this year, Whole Foods Market Kahala customers were able to “recycle” their leftover change at registers upon check-out to benefit One Strong ‘Ohana.

“Whole Foods Market Kahala believes that creating healthy and safe environments for our keiki is essential to the well-being of our community,” said Natalie Aczon, Whole Foods Market Kahala marketing supervisor.

The One Strong ‘Ohana campaign is Hawai‘i’s largest public awareness campaign to prevent child abuse and neglect to date. Formed from a partnership between the Hawai‘i Children’s Trust Fund and the Joyful Heart Foundation, the campaign aims to raise awareness about the simple ways people can make a difference in preventing child abuse and neglect through strengthening families.

“We are extremely thankful to Whole Foods Market Kahala customers for their generous donations to the One Strong ‘Ohana campaign,” said Marty Oliphant, chair of the Hawai‘i Children’s Trust Fund advisory committee. “Through One Strong ‘Ohana, our partners in the community—like Whole Foods Market—are working to ignite change and strengthen island families.”

“Whole Foods Market Kahala has a strong commitment to keiki and families and we are so grateful for their sponsorship and support of the One Strong ‘Ohana campaign,” said Kata Issari, Hawai‘i regional director of the Joyful Heart Foundation. “Studies show that parents who have a strong support network are less likely to abuse or neglect their children. Even a small gesture, such as picking up groceries for a family or bringing over a meal can make a big difference in strengthening families.”

In addition to supporting families through the One Strong ‘Ohana campaign, Whole Foods Market Kahala hosts a fun class for keiki ages five to 12 years old each month, which focuses on healthy eating and includes demonstrations and hands-on easy meal preparations that the entire family can enjoy.

The Whole Foods Market Recycle Your Change program provides customers an opportunity to support nonprofits by “recycling” their left over change when making a purchase at a store. Other recent recipients of this program include Aloha United Way, Diamond Head Theatre Shooting Stars, Hawai‘i Bicycling League, Honolulu Academy of Arts’ Art To Go program and the Green Wheel Food Hub.

For more information on the One Strong ‘Ohana campaign, visit www.OneStrongOhana.com. For additional information on the Hawai‘i Children’s Trust Fund, follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HawaiiCTF or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/HawaiiCTF.


About Hawai‘i Children’s Trust Fund

The Hawai‘i Children’s Trust Fund (HCTF) is a public-private partnership established in 1993. The trust fund focuses on grant making, training and technical assistance of service providers, advocacy, and increasing public awareness on the prevention of child abuse and neglect. Since its inception, HCTF has awarded $6.6 million to support nearly 150 programs and projects across the state that work with children and families. Follow HCTF on Twitter, www.twitter.com/HawaiiCTF and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HawaiiCTF.

About the Joyful Heart Foundation

Mariska Hargitay, actress and advocate, founded the Joyful Heart Foundation in Kailua-Kona in 2004. Its mission is to heal, educate and empower survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse, and to shed light into the darkness that surrounds these issues. Today, Joyful Heart has offices in Honolulu, New York and Los Angeles. For more information about Joyful Heart, please visit www.joyfulheartfoundation.org.