Pacific Gateway Center Joins Hawaii Deferred Action For Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Program.

Community website by MBC/Ernest Abrams. Call 808-739-9797 for advertising/sponsorship. Community website by MBC/Ernest Abrams. Call 808-739-9797 for advertising/sponsorship.

First Friday Hawaii
News Item
Powered by MBC NewsMaker
Pacific Gateway Center Joins Hawaii Deferred Action For Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Program.
Tweet

Pacific Gateway Center is proud to be a community partner in the Dream Fund to provide opportunities to youth immigrants. See press release below.

HAWAII COMMUNITY FOUNDATION AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS ESTABLISH DREAM FUND TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES TO YOUTH IMMIGRANTS

New fund awards $150,000 to nonprofits for collaboration and outreach

HONOLULU -- March 4, 2015 -- Hawaii Community Foundation (HCF) today announced the first round of grants from the DREAM fund to support a Hawaii Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Outreach Program. Established by HCF and its community partners, the fund makes $150,000 accessible to organizations helping thousands of young adults in Hawaii that are eligible to apply for federal DACA relief. The goal of the program is to increase the number of undocumented immigrants applying for DACA status, allowing them opportunities to work, attend school, and contribute to their families and communities within the program's two-year window for deportation deferment.

Since its inception in 2012, the DACA program has provided temporary legal status, employment authorization and protection from deportation to thousands of eligible young adults who arrived in Hawaii as children, grew up here, and graduated high school without documentation of immigration status.

"HCF is pleased to support community organizations that have led the charge in advocating and serving Hawaii's immigrant population over the years. We are confident that by working together, the grantees will reach more young adults and achieve positive outcomes for DACA beneficiaries," said Tammi Chun, vice president of programs at the Hawaii Community Foundation. "Those who will benefit from this initiative are the youth who grew up in Hawaii -- our neighbors, coworkers and children's high school classmates. They call Hawaii home, and through this process, they'll be able to engage in the civic life of our community."

The following five nonprofits were awarded $138,000 in grants to collaborate on outreach efforts for DACA beneficiaries. A final grant will be awarded to the organizations to support coordinated outreach activities.

Susannah Wesley Community Center (SWCC), in partnership with Child and Family Services, will provide program services, and host meetings and community events at its Kalihi facility. SWCC serves a diverse population of immigrants from the Philippines, Samoa, Korea, Vietnam, Hong Kong, China and Micronesia.

Aloha DREAM Team, a youth advocacy group with members who have benefitted from the DACA program, will focus on outreach efforts and support of immigration policy reform. Aloha DREAM Team is supported by fiscal sponsor Faith Action for Community Equity.

Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice, a nonprofit law firm dedicated to advocating on behalf of low-income, immigrant and minority populations, will support the legal rights of immigrants and advocate for the rights of Hawaii's disadvantaged populations.

Pacific Gateway Center will provide programs and services to assist immigrants with obtaining affordable housing, food, medical care, religion, legal aid, employment and education.

Volunteer Legal Services Hawaii, in partnership with Maui Economic Opportunity, will support immigrants to Maui by providing pro bono legal advice.

"We're thrilled to be working with Hawaii Community Foundation and the other DREAM Fund grantees to provide outreach to our DACA-eligible community members," said Shingai Masiya, community advocate and organizer at the Aloha DREAM Team. "Together, we're able to share ideas, provide support and ultimately increase participation in the DACA program to help Hawaii's immigrant youth obtain temporary legal status and become working community members without fear of deportation."

The fund was established in partnership with Unbound Philanthropy, and the following funds at Hawaii Community Foundation: Kamp Fund, Kosasa Family Fund, Omidyar Ohana Fund and Stupski Family Fund.

About Hawai‘i Community Foundation
With 99 years of community service, the Hawai‘i Community Foundation (HCF) is the leading philanthropic institution in the state. HCF is a steward of more than 700 funds, including more than 200 scholarship funds, created by donors who desire to transform lives and improve communities. In 2014, HCF distributed more than $46 million in grants and contracts statewide, including $4 million in scholarships. HCF also serves as a resource on community issues and trends in the nonprofit sector. For more information, visit www.hawaiicommunityfoundation.org.

About Pacific Gateway Center
OVERVIEW

For many years, Pacific Gateway Center (PGC) has been the portal for immigrants and refugees seeking a land which would give them the opportunity for a better life. To this end, we have developed programs and services that nurture the development and acculturation of immigrants and refugees as well as low income Hawaiians who have not had access to resources which would provide the freedoms that we have taken for granted. Our work is not only of great value to the local community but also serves as the threshold to many other states that will absorb these new people into the American culture.

MISSION

The purpose of the Pacific Gateway Center is to help immigrants, refugees and low-income residents of Hawaii gain access to opportunities and services through the building of skills that lead to self-sufficiency while respecting the integrity of diverse cultural heritages. Pacific Gateway Center's values include: Food, Diversity, Spirit of Aloha, Humor, Creativity, Integrity, Mutual Respect, and Teamwork.

SERVICES
Social Services:

Hawaii Language Bank
Immigration Services
Refugee Resettlement & Matching Grant
Food bank

Employment and Training Services:

Employment Core Services for Immigrants
Employment Core Services for Low Income
Small Business Management Training
English as Second Language Training
Kitchen Incubator Training

Economic Development:

USDA Homeownership Kauai
RED Manini Microloan Program
Employment Creation for Refugees, Immigrants, and Low-Income

The Retail Incubator:

Another project of PGC is the Retail Incubator, which provides space and marketing services for clients of PGC. The majority of the clients will be related to the Culinary Business Incubator and therefore, a caf is part of the marketing program. On the second floor, the Retail Incubator will provide services for retail products such as computer services, packaging, and accounting.

Catering:
A new initiative of PGC has been a catering service for such events as weddings, meetings, and funerals. Using existing facilities and staff, this service provides recent immigrants with jobs and supports clients by buying food products from them and providing informal advertising and contacts for client products. The income generated by the catering service directly supports the social services and program operations of PGC and is integral to the company's overall strategy of engaging in social entrepreneurship.

Affordable Housing Initiative:
Affordable Housing Initiative is our first project to address the growing need of the low-income residents of Hawaii. Our project uses the models found in New York City and Chicago. It is open to low-income residents with a rent control lease. Because the tenants pay utilities, they are motivated to be economical in energy use. PGC provides case management on an as-needed basis.

The Pacific Gateway Center serves over 5,000 clients per year. In addition to the clients served in the following Program Report, PGC's main office serves well over 1,000 walk-in clients who receive general information, and a variety of services including ID photographs, translation, notary, emergency food and rent, and casual labor work. PGC also provides services to over 1,000 clients through its 5 festivals, and to approximately 350 clients through financial literacy, business and computer training.

ACTIVITIES
The Pacific Gateway Center serves over 3,000 clients per year. In addition to the clients served in our four main components, PGC's main office serves well over 1,000 walk-in clients who receive general information and a variety of services including ID photographs, translation, notary, emergency food and rent, and casual labor work. PGC also provides services to over 1,000 clients through its 5 ethnic festivals, and to approximately 350 clients through financial literacy, business and computer training. A few of our current and future programs include the following :

Affordable Housing Initiative
The Retail Incubator
Catering
Floating Lantern Festival
E-Commerce
and much more.

HISTORY

The History of the Pacific Gateway Center

The Pacific Gateway Center (PGC), formerly known as the Immigrant Center, was founded in 1973 by the Palama Council of Churches in Hawai`i in response to the dramatic increase in Asian and Pacific Island immigrants to the islands. In 1984, St. Elizabeth's church provided the location for the PGC and incorporated the PGC as an independent organization with its own governing board of directors and private, non-profit (501(c)3) status. The PGC also became a member agency of the Aloha United Way. At present, the PGC employs 50 full-time and part-time employees and offers a wide range of direct and support services to meet the needs of immigrants, refugees, and low-income residents of Hawai`i. Services are provided to approximately 5,000 clients per year. Job training classes now serve over 550 clients annually. The mission of PGC is "to empower Hawai�i's low-income residents, immigrants and refugees to achieve self-sufficiency through skill-building and access to opportunities while respecting cultural heritages." PGC celebrated its 35th anniversary on September 9, 2009.

Questions? Ready for an appointment?

Like Our Facebook

First Friday Hawaii News Item

Pacific Gateway Center Joins Hawaii Deferred Action For Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Program.

First Friday Hawaii
News Item