When Mothers Thrive, Hawai‘i Thrives: How Aloha United Way Donors Keep Families Safe and Supported
When you picture the word home, what comes to mind? For many of us in Hawai‘i, it’s ʻohana, food on the table, and keiki playing in the yard. But for too many mothers across our islands, home is also filled with worry—how to pay for diapers, where to find a doctor, and whether their baby will get the care they need.
This is where your donations to Aloha United Way (AUW) make a difference. Through our Safety Net Fund, AUW supports essential partners like Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawai‘i (HMHB), an organization that has spent over 30 years standing beside mothers, babies, and families when the health system falls short.
The Gaps Are Real
Sunny Chen, HMHB’s CEO, puts it simply:
“When you take care of mothers and pregnant and parenting people, you end up taking care of the whole community. The moms call us to where we need to be.”
And right now, moms are calling louder than ever.
While national designations may not always label Hawai‘i as a maternity care desert, the reality on the ground—especially on neighbor islands—shows significant gaps in access due to geography, provider shortages, and lack of local birthing facilities.
Moloka‘i residents are dying from curable diseases, simply because care is too far away.
Over 95% of Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies’ clients rely on Medicaid.
With reimbursements already covering far less than the true cost of care, any further cuts would severely threaten the organization’s ability to continue delivering essential services to mothers and babies across the islands. That’s why AUW’s Safety Net funding matters. It helps bridge the gap when federal funds dry up, when reimbursements don’t cover the cost, and when mothers can’t wait.
What Your Gift Makes Possible
Because of private donors, Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies can continue offering:
- Mobile Health Services that deliver essential care directly to communities like Wai‘anae, Waimānalo, Waipio, and Puna—providing everything from remote fetal monitoring and postpartum checkups to primary care for the entire family. These services eliminate transportation barriers and bring culturally responsive healthcare where it’s needed most
- Community-based doulas, who spend up to an hour with pregnant women in shelters, offering care, comfort, and advocacy.
- Lactation Lounges for working mothers, a safe space to feed or pump when federal funding for breastfeeding support has been cut.
- Cribs for Kids, giving families a safe sleep option for their newborns.
Each of these programs is more than a service—they’re life lines.
Stories of Impact
Kiana’s Story – Wai‘anae
Kiana was seven months pregnant when her car broke down. With two toddlers at home and no bus route to the nearest OB clinic, she thought she’d have to skip her prenatal care. Instead, HMHB’s mobile health van pulled up outside her housing complex. A nurse checked the baby’s heartbeat and blood pressure, and even delivered diapers and formula for her keiki.
“They met me where I was—literally,” Kiana says. “Without them, I don’t know how I would have made it.”
Malia’s Story – Lahaina
After losing her home in the Lahaina wildfires, Malia and her newborn moved into temporary housing. Between FEMA forms and rebuilding, caring for her baby felt overwhelming. HMHB provided a crib, lactation support, and weekly check-ins.
“I felt like I wasn’t alone anymore,” she said. “They gave me hope at a time when everything felt lost.”
Sunny’s Reflection
“We’re not just another doctor’s office,” Sunny explains. “We anchor into the community, often starting with something simple like diapers or food. That opens the door for health care, mental health support, and dignity. Philanthropy allows us to do that. Without it, the most vulnerable fall through the cracks.”
Why Donor Support Matters Now
Cuts to Medicaid and federal funding mean that HMHB—and organizations like them—face an impossible choice: either scale back services to bare minimums or depend on the generosity of the community to keep lifesaving programs alive.
“I don’t sleep at night,” Sunny admits.
“There’s so much need, and we’re constantly making miracles from small dollars. But if we lose these programs, mothers and babies lose. And when that happens, the whole community suffers.”
Why Donor Support Matters Now
When you give to AUW, you’re not just funding one program, you’re strengthening Hawai‘i’s entire safety net. You’re ensuring that mothers like Kiana and Malia get the care, diapers, lactation support, and medical attention they need.
Your donation today helps AUW continue funding over 300 programs across the islands, including these lifesaving efforts at Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies.
Because when mothers thrive, Hawai‘i thrives.
Donate now to AUW’s Safety Net Fund. Together, we can make sure no mother, or baby is left without care.
About Aloha United Way
Founded in 1919, Aloha United Way brings resources, organizations and businesses together to advance the health, education and financial stability of every person in our community. AUW has evolved over the years and adapted to meet our community’s greatest needs focusing on amplifying non-profit agencies and their work as well as the 211 Statewide Helpline, ALICE Initiative and Safety Net Fund. A member of United Way Worldwide, AUW supports nonprofits and communities on Oʻahu. For more information, visit AUW.org or connect with us on social media – @AlohaUnitedWay.
