Inspiring messages from our sponsors
Client Stories
Hollee Guthrie, Head To Toe Salon:
July 2, 2024
Dear MEO Bridge Grant Program Team,
I am writing to express my heartfelt gratitude for awarding me the MEO Bridge Grant. This support has been instrumental in sustaining and growing my small business, Head To Toe Salon. The grant has not only helped us navigate the challenges of the past but will also be crucial in ensuring a bright and promising future for our salon.
I would like to extend a special thank you to David Daly for his exceptional dedication and hard work throughout the grant application process. His efficiency and constant communication kept me well-informed and reassured at every step. His efforts were pivotal in securing this grant, and I am incredibly appreciative of his support.
The financial assistance provided by the MEO Bridge Grant Program has enabled us to enhance our services to our valued clients. This grant is a significant boost to our operations and has strengthened our confidence in the continued success of our salon.
Thank you once again for your generosity and commitment to supporting small businesses like mine. Your assistance is making a profound difference, and I am deeply grateful for the opportunities it has opened up for us.
With sincere appreciation,
Hollee Guthrie
Head To Toe Salon
Hollee Guthrie, Head To Toe Salon:
July 2, 2024
Dear David Daly,
I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to express my heartfelt gratitude for all your help with the MEO Bridge Grant program. Your dedication and hard work have been instrumental in making this happen.
Throughout the process, you have kept me updated on the progress, ensuring I was always informed and involved. Your commitment to figuring out how we could successfully obtain the grant was remarkable, and I truly appreciate everything you did to support me.
Your willingness to go above and beyond did not go unnoticed, and I am deeply grateful for your assistance. Your efforts have made a significant impact, and I am incredibly thankful for your unwavering support.
Thank you once again for all that you have done.
Warm regards,
Hollee Guthrie
Head To Toe Salon
Hungry Heroes Hawaii 🌟 Partner Spotlight: Maui Economic Opportunity 🌟
We’re excited to highlight our incredible partnership with Maui Economic Opportunity (MEO) and the support they’ve provided through the Maui Disaster Recovery National Dislocated Worker Grant (NDWG).
When the devastating fires struck Maui, the need for food security skyrocketed. Many of our neighbors were displaced, losing homes, jobs, and stability. At Hungry Heroes Hawaii (HHH), we knew we had to step up, but we couldn’t do it alone. That’s where MEO came in.
Through the NDWG, MEO has supported us to sustain and expand our food security programs at a critical time. Here’s how this partnership has made a difference:
👩🍳 From Volunteers to Employees: Thanks to MEO, ten of our dedicated volunteers, all directly impacted by the fires, transitioned into full-time, paid positions with benefits like health insurance.
🍲 Feeding the Community: With this support, we’ve scaled up meal preparation to thousands of meals each week for fire survivors. Our team’s hands-on effort ensures no one in our community goes hungry, even amidst such trying times.
🤝 Aligned Missions: Both HHH and MEO are deeply committed to serving our community, fostering economic opportunities, and ensuring no one is left behind. This grant has created jobs and stimulated the local economy, keeping resources on Maui.
🌺 Ongoing Impact: Our partnership with MEO has been instrumental in maintaining the volume and quality of our services. The NDWG has been a lifeline, allowing us to meet the growing need for food security and support our community’s recovery.
Mahalo nui loa, @mauieconomicopportunity for your incredible partnership and for helping us to continue to nourish and uplift Maui. It’s a kākou thing – we’re all in this together. 💪🌺
Your support and involvement are crucial in making this vision a reality.
Melissa V. Rizzolo, Hawai’i Emergency Laulima Partners recipient:
“Dear Debbie Cabebe, CEO,
I am writing with sincere gratitude for the assistance I have received in the form of food Vouchers and Rental Assistance MEO has provided to me because of the Coronavirus Pandemic. I was notified during the height of the pandemic that I needed to move after 2 years of residence. . . . Needless to say, I was not prepared to move, especially being on a Furlough from work due to COVID-19.
I know there are many applicants and I greatly appreciate the timely assistance MEO has provided me. I couldn’t have done it without MEO’s help, guidance and support, especially from Nicandor Saladino and Cathy Jimenez. They both have made this stressful time much easier than I could have ever imagined. I love my new hale and look forward to a long, healthy, happy and prosperous residence.
With Aloha and Appreciation to Debbie Cabebe CEO, Nicandor Saladino and Cathy Jimenez and MEO Team for all you have done for me and continue to do for our Maui residents.
Mahalo Nui,
Melissa V. Rizzolo”
Victor Lopez, Rental assistance program recipient:
“I recently started training at two jobs: Lineage and Nalu’s South Shore Grill. Both are restaurants. I will be bartending at both. By the end of the month, I may be back to work 40 hours/week between the two.
My wife, Sarah, is building up a network of leads for freelance business development and photography/videography work. Our son had a setback at school but has been making up for lagging grades. Everyone continues to remain healthy.
We are continuing to knockdown our credit card debt and pay back family/friends we had to borrow money from. Both my wife and I will continue to look for non-tourism-related jobs that utilize our other skill sets.
The (rental assistance) program has been a huge help during a very stressful time. We honestly would not have made ends meet and very quickly began racking up credit card/loan debt early on in the pandemic when we lost our jobs.
Not only did this program and the rental assistance allow us to start paying down debt and keep from going into arrears, the counseling and talks we had with Shayna, our case manager, taught us to look at our spending habits. Since being on the assistance program, we’ve eliminated needless spending and have begun and will continue to stick to budgets for things like groceries and discretionary spending.
Thank you!”
Victor Lopez
Lolesio Setefano, BEST program client:
Lolesio Setefano was released from the federal correctional system after 10 years behind bars with hopes of restarting his life. He was referred to Maui Economic Opportunity’s BEST (Being Empowered and Safe Together) program in May.
He came to the BEST program seeking help in getting certified as a security guard. BEST helped Setefano take the security guard class in June, get fingerprinted and submit his Guard Employee Registration Application to the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs Professional Licensing Division in August.
Lolesio came to BEST with a plan to restart his life, which began with securing employment. Having been apart from his family, Lolesio’s next goal was to secure a home to gather his family members again and live under one roof. He wanted to show to his family that he has the determination to pick up where he left off, reclaim his role as the head of the family, regain their respect and trust and demonstrate that he had the capability to become a productive member of the community.
Recently, he and his longtime girlfriend found an apartment and are in the process of signing the lease agreement and moving in.
Lolesio’s very optimistic about his future. His positive mental attitude is evident in the way he talks, thinks and shares about his plans for the family with BEST CARES Act Case Manager Jennifer Grancha. He is grateful for what MEO has done for him.
Isaac Roman, BEST program client:
Isaac Roman is getting his life together after being released from incarceration.
“Thank you guyz at MEO. Words cannot explain how happy I am for everyone’s help. Thank you,” he wrote to Maui Economic Opportunity on Monday, Aug. 9.
He was hired for a permanent position at Mahi Pono as an assistant mechanic after jumping from one temp job to another after he was released from jail.
Isaac also has moved into his own rental unit.