Elepaio Social Services

`Elepaio Social Services (ess), is a wholly owned nonprofit corporation of the waianae district comprehensive health and hospital board, inc., that functions as a counterpart to the waianae coast comprehensive health center (wcchc) in providing much needed Social Services to the economically disadvantaged community of waianae and surrounding communities located on the west coast of the island of oahu in the state of Hawaii. Established in november 2020, ess has worked alongside wcchc in responding to the critical community need for access to vital wrap around Social Services and food.although `Elepaio Social Services was established in 2020, the aforementioned Services were being provided under the health center for years prior. These Services were quickly ramped up in response to community need. Throughout the covid pandemic, the waianae coast experienced the highest covid+ rates and the lowest covid immunization rates in the state. High positivity rates, coupled with school closures and loss of income during the shutdowns resulted in an exponential increase in food insecurity in an already economically distressed community. Home to the largest population of native hawaiians in the world, the waianae coast was once self sufficient and thriving in ancient times. Land and water resources were managed sustainably and provided an abundance of food for its people. Today, many on the waianae coast are living in poverty and feel disempowered. Westernization and reliance on imported foods have amplified the disconnection.today, the approximately 50,000 people who live in the region are economically distressed and endure poor outcomes: - nutrition related disparities: the waianae coast population ranks the highest for debilitating health conditions such as diabetes (15%) and obesity (41%). - food insecurity worsened significantly during the pandemic and due to inflation. - over 71% of the health center's patients live at or below the federal poverty level. - Hawaii imports more than 85% of its food, making the state extremely vulnerable to mis-matched supply and demand.still, waianae communities are resilient in the face of high cost of living, low wages and the ongoing impacts of the pandemic. Wcchc has been seeking justice for its communities through innovative and integrated Services for over fifty years and now through `Elepaio Social Services, efforts can expand, building on the existing strengths of the community and advocating for its health and Social needs.med-quest enrollment:elepaio Social Services navigators enroll community members into the state's med-quest program, health insurance through the federal marketplace and the affordable connectivity program.supplemental nutrition assistance program (snap):the snap program is a federally funded program administered to the states via the food and nutrition service and provides financial assistance to eligible households. Food access:the snap program allows customers to purchase fresh local produce and protein at reduced prices at the health center's farmer's market.keiki pantries:elepaio Social Services operates keiki pantries at schools on the waianae coast,serving 2,300 keiki each week and over 600,000 healthy snacks/local fruits.kupuna pantries:in partnership with the Hawaii foodbank, Elepaio Social Services operates kupuna pantries that service over 1,000 kupuna each week with fresh local organize produce, shelf stable foods/other pantry items.