Sheila Yamamoto named MEO Employee of the Month for February
The lead teacher at Maui Economic Opportunity’s Head Start preschool site at Wailuku Elementary School, Sheila Yamamoto, was named the nonprofit organization’s Employee of the Month for February. Her nominator, Family Case Manager Kalena Brown, cited her resiliency,...
MEO installs board members for 2025-26, marks 60-year anniversary
Maui Economic Opportunity’s 60th-year Board of Directors, led again by Carol Reimann, were installed last month with Mayor Richard Bissen, Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke and state Sen. Lynn DeCoite joining the candle-themed ceremony. “The county deeply values MEO as a key...
Viewpoint: Community Services Block Grant Funding in Jeopardy – By Debbie Cabebe, CEO, Maui Economic Opportunity
Federal budget reductions, especially in human services, have been well publicized. Maui Economic Opportunity, Maui County’s Community Action Agency fighting poverty in our communities, has not been spared. Recently, we announced the suspension of our long-running...
Early childcare teacher Tiana Hema named MEO Employee of the Month
Kahi Kamali`i Infant Toddler Center teacher Tiana Hema, whose patience soothes meltdowns and energy ignites creativity and play, was named Maui Economic Opportunity Employee of the Month. “Working in the early childhood field can be extremely challenging at times,”...
Mural with flowers, butterflies greets visitors to MEO Head Start Lahaina
A mural inspired by nearby Kauaʻula Valley with flowers and butterflies by local artist Noble Richardson greets children, their families, staff and other visitors at Maui Economic Opportunity’s Head Start Lahaina Center, the only preschool in town to survive the...
Maui Relief TANF qualifiers reminded to access long-term housing, appliance help
Maui Economic Opportunity has been administering the predominantly federally funded Maui Relief TANF Program in partnership with the state Department of Human Services since shortly after the Aug. 8, 2023, wildfires. The program provides housing, vehicle, utility, clothing, school supply and appliance assistance for those whose home or place of employment was damaged or destroyed by the wildfires or who lived or worked in the burn zone and were unable to return home or work due to the recovery efforts.
MEO job program for kupuna, SCSEP, suspended as federal funds cut
Maui Economic Opportunity will be suspending a three-decade-old on-the-job training program for Maui County kupuna on June 30 after receiving notification Monday that its contract had been terminated due to the uncertainty of federal funding.
Eleven kupuna will be losing their positions in the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP), which was established by the federal Older Americans Act to assist income eligible seniors, 55 years or older, who are unemployed…
MEO’s teen financial literacy class dates changed to July 7 and 8
The dates for the two-day Financial Literacy for Teens workshop, covering topics such as budgeting, saving and credit, have been changed to Monday and Tuesday, July 7 and 8, at Maui Economic Opportunity in Wailuku. The teen financial literacy workshop is offered at no...
MEO’s teen financial literacy class set for July 8-9
The two-day Financial Literacy for Teens workshop, covering topics such as budgeting, saving and credit, will be held Tuesday and Wednesday, July 8 and 9, at Maui Economic Opportunity in Wailuku. The teen financial literacy workshop is offered at no cost and is put on...
MEO Core Four Business Planning Course set for July
The fourth Core Four Business Planning Course series of the year, presented by Maui Economic Opportunity’s Business Development Center, starts Tuesday, July 1., and runs twice weekly through Thursday, July 31. Classes are in-person only at MEO’s Wailuku classroom, 99...