Main fundraiser photo

Olaa Skate Plaza, Phase II

HISTORY

Nestled in Puna on the Big Island of Hawai`i was an amazing, award-winning facility called the Hawai`i Youth Business Center (HYBC) from 2007-2012. HYBC is still managed by the non-profit organization Grassroots Community Development Group, 501(c)(3) #200987986. Puna is the fastest growing district in Hawai`i, but one of the poorest with few opportunities for area youth. Our organization has successfully educated hundreds of youth since 2005 in innovative programs like 1) Kea'au Middle College High School which offered dual credits (high school and college) to at-risk high school students and 2) Our After-School entrepreneurial skill-building program which taught filmmaking and graphic arts, culinary arts, and music/sound recording to 12-18 year olds.

In March 2013, we were forced to relocate from our facility in Kea`au Shopping Center to a former KFC building in the next town over, Pahoa. In this move we lost our state-of-the art sound recording studio and incurred moving costs that depleted our $25,000 cushion. Immediately, we needed donations to keep our doors open and complete setting up our new site. In this Pahoa facility, we incubated two local restaurants, MaukaMakai and Lehua Cafe who featured local menus and ingredients and opportunities for youth to develop job skills, and the community a place to meet, interact, and nourish their bodies, minds, and spirits!

In 2015, we relocated to a donated space at Church of a Sure Foundation in Orchidland and in 2017, when they needed their space back, GCDG/HYBC became a non-bricks and mortar entity which still supports youth and community development projects as well as umbrella'ing other community projects.

Our latest community development project was to take a long abandoned tennis court in the County Kurtistown Park and repurpose it for a Skate Plaza, for the recreational and enrichment needs of area.  Ola'a Skate Plaza, the only street style skating space on the Big Island, will be completing its concrete pour and finishing in March/April and plans a soft opening in June around the solstice. Then, GCDG will begin working on beautifying and upgrading the area outside the skate area for families and the community.

Your donation, no matter the amount, will help  Puna be a vibrant community:
"Save a Youth, Save a Generation"

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Donations 

  • Luke Kingland
    • $150 
    • 11 yrs
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Organizer

Trina Nahm-Mijo
Organizer
Hilo, HI
GRASSROOTS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT GROUP
 
Registered nonprofit
Donations are typically 100% tax deductible in the US.

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