Na Kupuna O Kauai Legacy of Aloha gets surprise $500 grant

April Christian, Louida Levinthol and Jeff Andres stood in disbelief when the HawaiiUSA Federal Credit Union Foundation handed Na Kupuna O Kauai Legacy of Aloha a $500 award at the Kukui Grove Branch in Līhue. The surprise came Thursday, June 25, and it landed for a Kapaa-based nonprofit that works to honor and support elders across Kauai.

Na Kupuna O Kauai Legacy of Aloha describes itself as a nonprofit dedicated to honoring and supporting elders in the community. The group says its annual Legacy of Aloha event celebrates kūpuna and recognizes community members who have made a difference. Public nonprofit listings identify it as a 501(c)(3) organization headquartered in Kapaa, with tax-exempt status dating to 2024.

The money is small in dollar terms, but it lands in the part of community life where small sums matter most. Na Kupuna O Kauai Legacy of Aloha has been active beyond awards and ceremonies, including a third annual Walk & Roll event at Lydgate Park on May 30 and a kūpuna honoree gathering at Lydgate Main Pavilion that featured 12 nominated kūpuna. For a volunteer-led organization like this one, a $500 grant can help absorb the routine costs that keep those gatherings on the calendar and keep elders visible in public life.

Karen Shigemoto, the Kukui Grove branch manager, said the effort is possible because Kauai has two representatives to the foundation, Lorraine Ballesteros and Gretchen Toyomura. Their presence gives the island a direct line into a giving program that has repeatedly shown up for local causes, even in modest amounts.

The June award also fits a steady pattern of HawaiiUSA Federal Credit Union Foundation giving on Kauai. In April, the foundation brought $10,000 in flood relief to the island, with former HawaiiUSA Federal Credit Union chief executive Karl Yoneshige, who heads the foundation board, bringing the update to Kauai. In March, the foundation gave $500 to the Kauai High School PAIRS PTSA for Project Grad, and in January it awarded $500 to Leadership Kauai. Earlier donations included $1,000 to the Kauai Independent Food Bank in October 2024 and $3,000 to Hawaii Foodbank Kauai in July 2022, along with $10,000 total distributed to two Kauai food banks in December 2025.

For Na Kupuna O Kauai Legacy of Aloha, the surprise at Kukui Grove was not just the check. It was another sign that the island’s elder-support network still has room for local institutions to step in, even with a modest grant, and keep kūpuna-centered work moving forward.