Video: Brandee Menino from HOPE Services Hawaiʻi gives public talk at UH Hilo on community services
The talk, “Empowering Our Community: Exploring Services That Strengthen Us,” focusing on housing and other needs, is part of UH Hilo’s Kuleana and Community Weekly Talk Story gatherings.
Brandee Menino, chief executive officer at HOPE Services Hawaiʻi, gave a public talk Oct. 25 at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo on various services the non-profit offers to the local community. HOPE Services Hawaiʻi, a Hilo-based non-profit organization of the Roman Catholic Church of Hawaiʻi, offers street outreach, emergency shelter, transitional and permanent supportive housing, rapid rehousing, rental assistance, disaster relief services, and more to those experiencing homelessness and those in imminent danger of becoming homeless.
Menino’s talk, “Empowering Our Community: Exploring Services That Strengthen Us,” is part of a series of weekly gatherings held this semester at UH Hilo where students, faculty, staff, university retirees, and members of the local community get together in a safe and welcoming environment to share their thoughts around a common topic.
The goal of the series, named Kuleana and Community Weekly Talk Story: Building Community Through Conversation, is to strengthen the university’s connections to the local community through conversation. Topics cover Maunakea stewardship, mental health, better communication, houselessness in Hawaiʻi, entrepreneurship, and more. Following a short talk by a featured guest, attendees break out into discussion groups and then share their manaʻo (thoughts) with everyone.
Menino has over two decades of experience in spearheading efforts to end homelessness through innovative housing solutions and community-driven partnerships. She focused her talk on the various services available to the community that cover housing, health needs, and support for vulnerable populations. From affordable housing to mental health resources, Menino shared her manaʻo on how local organizations work together to uplift those in need.
The talk was held at the Kilohana Student Success Center located in Edwin Mookini Library.
The Kuleana and Community series is sponsored by the UH Hilo Office of the Chancellor, Kīpuka Native Hawaiian Student Center, Kilohana Academic Success Center, Center for Global Education and Exchange, and Assistant Professor of Communication Colby Miyose and Associate Professor of Sociology Alton Okinaka.
Don’t miss the complete Kuleana and Community series
UPDATED with links to video recordings of each talk:
Aug. 30: Colby Miyose, “Communicating with Empathy” (this presentation was not recorded)
Sept. 6: Gerald DeMello, Historic Preservation Advocate, “Preserving Hawaiʻi’s History”
Sept. 13: Charmaine Higa, UH Hilo Professor of Psychology, “Small Shoulders, Big Worries: Understanding Childhood Anxiety in a Post-Pandemic World”
Sept. 20: Randy Kurohara, Executive Director, Community First, “Kuleana Health: Our Responsibility for Health”
Sept. 27: Clifton Sankofa, Educator, “Reclaiming Health Through Food”
Oct. 4: Kaleo Pilago, Education and Outreach Coordinator, Center for Maunakea Stewardship, “Maunakea Stewardship”
Oct. 11: Beverly Tese, Community Activist, Prizma Hawaiʻi LGBTQ Center, “Representation”
Oct. 18: Carla Kuo, Executive Officer, Hawaiʻi Island Chamber of Commerce, “Supporting Local”
Oct. 25: Brandee Menino, Chief Executive Office, HOPE Services Hawaiʻi, “Empowering Our Community: Exploring Services That Strengthen Us”
Nov. 1: Mike Miyahira, UH Regent and Business Owner, “Best Practices for Family Business Owners”
Nov. 8: Julie Mitchell, Executive Director, Kuʻikahi Mediation Center, “Conflict Prevention and Resolution”
Nov. 15: Sue Lee Loy, Hawaiʻi County Council Member and State Representative-Elect, “UH Hilo’s Role in the Community”
