“Pop-Up” Satellite Offices for OHA Beneficiaries on Hawaiʻi Island

Last month, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) began its new Traveling Beneficiary Services initiative on Hawaiʻi Island, when OHA Beneficiary Services staff set-up “pop-up” satellite offices at the Nāʻālehu Community Center on May 9 and another at the West Hawaiʻi Civic Center on May 16.

A satellite office in Waimea will begin offering services beginning on June 6.

“We are committed to showing up for our beneficiaries in their communities with purpose and aloha,” said OHA Board Chair and Hawaiʻi Island Trustee Kaialiʻi Kahele.

“This is about removing barriers, providing assistance and resources, and ensuring that the Office of Hawaiian Affairs remains responsive and accessible to those we serve.”

The new initiative is designed to meet Native Hawaiian beneficiaries where they live, work and raise their families. Instead of requiring beneficiaries to travel long distances to access support, OHA will bring its services directly to communities across Hawaiʻi Island with high concentrations of Native Hawaiians.

The satellite offices will be open once a month in each location (see schedule in sidebar) to provide direct in-person support to beneficiaries from 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

“We are reimagining how OHA services our people,” said OHA CEO Stacy Ferreira. “By bringing our services into the heart of our communities, we’re strengthening our relationships, increasing impact, and truly honoring the needs and voices of our beneficiaries.”