Nine local social services and consumer assistance groups received nearly $900,000 in grants from the Hawaii Community Stabilization initiative, which was launched today.

The initiative is a six-year, $8.6 million partnership program designed to stabilize communities and help families and individuals cope with the ongoing economic crisis.
Social services groups receiving funds included Helping Hands Hawaii, the Kauai Food Bank Inc., the Office for Social Ministry for Hawaii Island, and the Salvation Army of Maui County.
The consumer assistance groups included the Legal Aid Society of Hawaii, the Hawaii HomeOwnership Center, and the Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Hawaii.
The first phase of the initiative included $4.6 million in funding led by a $2.5 million lead grant from the Omidyar Ohana Fund at the Hawaii Community Foundation. Other funding came from groups including the Atherton Family Foundation, the Cooke Foundation Ltd. American Savings Bank, First Hawaiian Bank, the McInerny Foundation, the Harold K. L. Castle Foundation, the Kosasa Family Fund, the Stupski Family Fund and the Community Needs Fund at the Hawaii Community Foundation.