Restoring Community Health

Hana Health will reduce the number of Hana District Native Hawaiians suffering from diabetes and those at risk of developing diabetes through increased access to traditional foods. Due to the conditions of this remote area, such as high rates of unemployment, poverty, and the high cost of living, Hana District’s mortality rate is the 3rd highest, exceeding all other districts in the state. Nearly half of Hawaiʻi residents with diabetes are food insecure and 42% of those with heart disease or a history of stroke were food insecure. Hana Health intends to develop its Hana Fresh farm operation to include the cultivation of traditional food crops—Taro, sweet potato, ulu and others —for distribution to diabetic patients. Hana Health will monitor their weights, blood glucose, and blood pressure for managing their overall health. This project will teach participants who live in the community, how to eat healthy meals, assist them with meal preparation, provide them raw and partially prepared foods, and distribute ’healthy’ food bags. 81 Native Hawaiian diabetic patients will incorporate three traditional foods into their daily diet and have weights in the normal range as a result of successful project implementation. Through this project, Hana Health hopes to create a restorative community where wellness thrives and people live long, healthy, purposeful lives.