Y-NEWS! September 2025 - Archived

Our mission is at the heart of everything we do at YWCA Oʻahu. From classrooms to boardrooms, women in our Y community are breaking barriers, challenging inequities, and leading with purpose. Empowering others is our daily work. Each of our programs addresses a specific area of need:

• Economic Advancement: Offering safe housing and career support for women leaving incarceration and those who have financial need.

• Business: Providing resources and mentorship to empower women in their entrepreneurial endeavors.

• Leadership: Developing leaders through educational opportunities and spaces where they can grow in their confidence and skill sets.

In this month’s update, we invite you to see how these programs are changing lives throughout our islands.

With growing demand for our programs and services, your support helps us to build a more equitable Hawaiʻi. Whether through a donation, volunteer time, or simply spreading the word, your involvement makes a real difference. Join us in continuing this vital work.

Governor Josh Green & First Lady Jaime Kanani Green Celebrate 125 Years of Impact with YWCA O‘ahu

On August 8, YWCA Oʻahu, together with Governor Josh Green, M.D., and First Lady Jaime Kanani Green, invited the community to a special “Dine With Us” event at Washington Place, celebrating YWCA Oahu’s 125th Anniversary.

Held at the historic home of Queen Liliʻuokalani, the event brought together leaders from across government, business, and the nonprofit sector, along with community advocates and YWCA Oʻahu alumnae, to celebrate over a century of progress toward gender and racial justice. The evening featured speeches and performances from YWCA Oʻahu Fernhurst residents as well as small business owner Kendra Wong.

Learn more about our history

Small Gifts, Big Impact with Foodland’s

Gift Matching Program

This September, YWCA Oʻahu is proud to participate in Give Aloha, Foodland’s Annual Community Matching Gifts program. Through the end of the month, every donation made at Foodland, Sack N Save, or Foodland Farms can directly support our mission to empower women, eliminate racism, and provide resources for girls and families across Hawaiʻi.

When you give at checkout, 100% of your contribution goes to YWCA Oʻahu, and Foodland will match a portion of your gift, stretching your impact even further. You can donate any amount up to $249 by using your Maikaʻi account and designating YWCA Oʻahu (#77403).

There are also other simple ways to give back, from donating 250 Maikaʻi points (a $5 contribution) to rounding up your purchase, contributing spare change, or purchasing exclusive Give Aloha merchandise designed by local artist Suzanne Jennerich. Every contribution, big or small, makes a difference. Together, we can continue building a stronger, more equitable Hawaiʻi for all.

Learn More Here

Did you know that YWCA Oahu Kokokahi offers the whole family a place to participate in educational and recreational activities? With access to over 11 acres of waterfront property, Kokokahi holds swim classes for all ages and levels, as well as multiple event spaces perfect for your next family celebration, from graduations to baby showers.

Learn More

Kāneʻohe Campus Champions Aquatics for All: 2025 Special Olympics

The Aquatics program at YWCA Kokokahi in Kāneʻohe is proud to support two Special Olympics swim teams: the Windward Warriors and Kamaliʻi Koa. Earlier this summer, athletes from across Oʻahu and neighboring islands competed in the Special Olympics State Championship at the University of Hawaiʻi. Behind their success were hours of training at the Kokokahi pool.

Some of these athletes first got their start in YWCA Oahu’s Learn to Swim program, and today we are honored to continue supporting them and their families through our wellness initiatives. Their dedication inspires us, and we remain committed to fostering inclusive spaces where every individual can thrive.

Learn More Here

Patsy T. Mink Leadership Alliance Welcomes New Cohort

of Women Leaders

The Patsy T. Mink Leadership Alliance, Hawaiʻi’s premier program for established women professionals, held its first session last month at YWCA Kokokahi, welcoming 21 distinguished leaders into its tenth cohort.

Since 2016, the program has graduated 171 women from sectors including finance, healthcare, technology, law, education, and nonprofits, equipping them with the skills and confidence to impactfully lead. Over the next ten months, Cohort 10 will engage in more than 100 hours of learning sessions with respected industry experts, focusing on financial acumen, civic engagement, strategic planning, and mentorship. This milestone year also celebrates the program’s tenth anniversary.

Cohort 10 members include:

• Mahea Alcon (Vice President, Payment Services Manager, American Savings Bank)
• Dannah Barnes (Executive Director, Read To Me International Foundation)
• Cecily Ching (Vice President & Manager, Trust Real Estate Services, First Hawaiian Bank)
• Shayna Decker (Director, Government and Community Affairs – Maui County, Hawaiian Electric)
• Bianca Fairburn (Senior Enlisted Leader, Hawai‘i Air National Guard)
• Nichole Field (Upper School Principal, St. Andrew’s Schools)
• Chantel Fonseca (Senior Program Consultant, Customer Experience, Bank of Hawai‘i)
• Kimberly Fujita (Senior Manager, Service Delivery & Operations – Advanced Services, Hawaiian Telcom)
• Lana Gurianova (Financial Manager, Pacific Gateway Center)
• Pōlani Moʻokini (Senior Communications Manager, Under My Umbrella Inc.)
• Miyuki Noji (Senior Vice President & Director, International Private Banking, Central Pacific Bank)
• Vivian Pham (Community Health Operations Lead, Kaiser Permanente)
• Jodi Robinson (Policy Director, Hawaiʻi Alliance of Nonprofit Organizations)
• Kapiolani Street (Manager, Engineering & Site Development, Castle & Cooke Homes Hawai‘i, Inc.)
• Bev Tagami (Senior Interior Designer, WCIT)
• Summer Uwono (Chief Financial Officer, Partners in Development Foundation)
• Christy Valledor (Vice President of Organizational Development, HawaiiUSA Federal Credit Union)
• Francel Visini (Director of Fiscal Services/Finance, Shriners Children’s Hawai‘i)
• Cheryl Wallick (Nutrition Educator, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa – Education/Health)
• Aga Westfal-Conboy (Vice President of Marketing and Communications, Aloha United Way)
• Amanda Woo (Chief Operating Officer, Hawai‘i Pacific Health Medical Group, Hawai‘i Pacific Health)

Learn More About the Leadership Alliance