Support Sara Steiner: Pāhoa’s Beloved Activist in the 2024 Hawaii Geothermal Injunction Fight:

Aloha, dear friends and community,

Sara Steiner, a cherished Pāhoa activist and a beating heart of our community, has dedicated her life to protecting our ‘āina and uplifting the spirit of Puna, Hawaii. As the founder of Laulima Pāhoa, a beloved 501(c)(3) nonprofit established in 2016, Sara has poured her blood, sweat, and tears into fostering unity, art, cultural revival, and environmental justice in our community. Known for her vibrant art and her fierce fights for truth and justice, Sara is now a senior citizen who lives humbly in an off-grid treehouse, sustained by the land she loves so deeply.

To her community—and to me, her daughter—she is a beacon of aloha, giving endlessly without ever asking for anything in return.

Since 2015, Sara has been a relentless voice against Puna Geothermal Venture (PGV), standing in courtrooms to defend our environment, our health, our future Puna generations , and our cultural heritage from the impacts of geothermal expansion. Now, in 2025, she is leading a critical legal battle, having filed the unprecedented Hawaii geothermal injunction lawsuit challenging the fraudulent Final Environmental Impact Statement for PGV’s Repower Project. This case, currently awaiting hearing dates in Hawaii’s Intermediate Court of Appeals, is a fight for the future of our sacred lands and community.

But for someone living well below the poverty line, the costs are overwhelming as the Pro Se filer (Sara is also a paralegal who has taken this massive fight on pro se , alone , which includes also many community members and 2 volcano scientists within the declarations ) .

Court filings, legal fees, and the gas to drive out (60 miles round-trip) required for frequent trips to the courthouse are a heavy burden for Sara, who lives a simple, off-grid life. Each journey to court adds financial strain, and the stress of these expenses weighs heavily on her as she fights for us all. As my mama, she’s taught me the power of standing up for what’s right, but she can’t do it all without support.

This is where our community’s aloha comes in.

Sara’s work protects our home, our values, and our future. Your donations—big or small—will help cover court fees, filing costs, gas expenses, sustaining meals while out on the road all day for community things , and the unforseeable things in life that arise , allowing Sara to continue her tireless advocacy. Every dollar ensures that her voice, and the voice of Puna, remains strong in the courtroom.

Please join us in supporting Sara, a woman who has given her life to our community and asks for nothing but justice in return. Your generosity will absolutely lighten her load, and keep this critical injunction moving forward. She is fighting for so many lives in this specific injunction that have no one else to rely on for the truth to be exposed .

Let’s stand with Sara, our beloved activist, artist, and guardian of Puna, to protect our ‘āina together.

Mahalo nui loa for your love and support.

From my heart to yours, thank you for helping my mama continue her fight for our home.

Stay tuned to the fight by joining A'OLE PGV Facebook group which is the official causes group where the geothermal community in radius pist daily and all legal updates are also posted by Sara herself, link to the group is here --> https://www.facebook.com/groups/1050633628673137/?ref=share&mibextid=NSMWBT

If you are a news reporter or journalist Sara is available for interviews regarding the long standing fight and the current hawaii geothermal injunction, contact her at p a h o a t o d a y @ g m a i l . C o m to set one up

With endless gratitude,

Jasmine Steiner

KahuPuna