Vash Hawaii Island

TO SHARE THE ALOHA SPIRIT WITH VISITORS AFFECTED BY ADVERSITY ON HAWAII ISLAND

VISITOR CRISIS ASSISTANCE - IN 2020 VASH HAWAII ISLAND HAD 165 CASES AND SERVED 357 PEOPLE. THE TOP FOUR ADVERSITIES WERE: MEDICAL EMERGENCY (23%), LOST ITEMS (16%), UEMV (15%) AND THEFT (10%)

FACE MASKS IN JUNE OF 2020, VASH HAWAII ISLAND RECEIVED A $2,700 GRANT FROM HAWAII TOURISM AUTHORITY TO HIRE LOCAL SEAMSTRESSES TO SEW 660 CLOTH MASKS. VASH DISTRIBUTED THEM TO OUR POLICE OFFICERS AND NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS. ALL MASKS WERE CREATED WITH SPECIFICATIONS PROVIDED BY KAISER PERMANENTE AND MADE BY VOLUNTEER SEWERS AROUND THE ISLAND. THE GROUP SPENT OVER 550 HOURS SEWING AND DELIVERING THESE MASKS TO THE COMMUNITY. THE VASH TEAM MADE AND DELIVERED 500 MASKS TO HAWAII COUNTY POLICE AND MORE THAN 160 TO OTHER NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS. WHEN NOT SEWING MASKS, VASH HELPS VISITORS COPE WITH AND RECOVER FROM VARIOUS UNFORTUNATE SITUATIONS, I.E. LOST DOCUMENTS, CRIME, MEDICAL EMERGENCIES, OR EVEN THE DEATH OF A LOVED ONE. VASH RECEIVES REFERRALS FROM THE HAWAII COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT, LOCAL HOSPITALS, AIRPORT SECURITY, AND OTHERS. VASH IS A 501 (C)3 ORGANIZATION, FUNDED IN PART BY HAWAII TOURISM AUTHORITY, THE COUNTY OF HAWAII AND COMMUNITY DONATIONS. "WE ARE PROUD TO SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS DURING THIS DIFFICULT TIME," SAID RACHELLE HENNINGS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR VASH, HAWAII ISLAND. "WE FEEL IT'S IMPORTANT TO HELP OUR FIRST RESPONDERS AS THEY RISK THEIR LIVES EVERY DAY TO HELP THE VISITORS AND RESIDENTS OF HAWAII ISLAND."

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AND OUTREACH -IN OCT 2020, VASH HAWAII ISLAND RECEIVED A $5,000 GRANT FROM THE COUNTY OF HAWAII TO PURCHASE 5,000 POCKET-SIZE HAND SANITIZERS. VASH DISTRIBUTED THE HAND SANITIZERS TO OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS, INCLUDING THE POLICE DEPARTMENTS, HOTELS/RESORTS, LOCAL BUSINESSES, AND LOCAL NON-PROFITS.