It’s been an exciting 2018, but we expect 2019 to be even more exciting when Family Support Hawaii (FSH) celebrates our 40th anniversary! We were founded in 1979 with the mission “to support families and communities in providing love and support for our children.” Each year, our programs grow and further our presence throughout West Hawaii. We have offices in Kailua-Kona, Waimea, Kealakekua, and Na‘alehu. Over fifty FSH employees, numerous volunteers, and an array of collaborative community groups provide the workforce necessary to carry out our mission. FSH is organized into four primary services: Child Welfare/Family Strengthening, Early Childhood Education, Child Development, and Youth Development. Each division has multiple programs that fall within our mission statement and serve to empower children, families and communities.
Family Support Hawaii continues to lead the way in creating healthy environments to support families in raising healthy children, and this past year has been filled with successes and new challenges for the agency. We have managed not only to improve our services to West Hawaii families, but have done so in a fiscally prudent and responsible way. We have expanded our speech and physical therapy services to include children of all ages, increased summer programming for Early Head Start, and expanded our Fatherhood Initiative. However, much more work lies ahead. We are particularly challenged by the impact of drugs on our community and families, and are working with community groups to respond to this problem. This ongoing effort is a critical part of our work to fulfill our mission “to support families and communities in providing love and care to our children”
I invite you to continue to partner with us to make sure our children, families and communities continue to get the support they need. The spirit of family and community are strong forces in our mission. We could not do this without your continued support!
Mahalo,
Ray Wofford, LMSW, MBA
Executive Director