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American Savings Bank and Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines invest in local organizations, communities [PBN]

American Savings Bank and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines recently awarded $850,000 in grant funding to support six local nonprofits working to address housing and financial literacy, among other areas, it was announced April 3.

“Collaborating with community-based organizations not only increases access to crucial services and resources, but it also strengthens our society as a whole,” Ann Teranishi, ASB president and CEO, said in an email to Pacific Business News. “The nonprofits that we work with have skills and expertise that are trusted by the community. Paired with our strong capital resources, financial products, connections and volunteers, we work together to prioritize the well-being of residents and businesses, making us stronger and better together.”

For this initiative, ASB has so far committed $712,000 back into the local community – $212,000 in 2024, and $500,000 last year – a spokesperson with the company told PBN.

The bank has focused its corporate giving toward promoting financial wellness for individuals and businesses, increasing affordable housing availability and accessibility, and supporting Aala Park and neighboring communities, Teranishi said.

In partnership with ASB, FHLB Des Moines’ Member Impact Fund has dispersed a total of $2.65 million to Hawai‘i organizations since 2023, according to the announcement. The fund “was established to provide critical support and funding to … Hawai‘i, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, Guam, American Samoa and Northern Mariana Islands,” the announcement noted.

“We are thrilled to partner with our members and local organizations to empower them to make their communities vibrant places to live and work,” said Kris Williams, president and CEO of FHLB Des Moines, in a statement. “An important part of our mission is to enable our members to meet the housing, business and economic development needs of the communities they serve. The Member Impact Fund is another way we fulfill that.”

Hawai‘i Community Lending received the largest gift of $400,000 to assist Lahaina homeowners affected by the Maui wildfires last August.

“We send our deepest mahalo to ASB and FHLB Des Moines for their support,” said Jeff Gilbreath, executive director of Hawaii Community Lending, in a statement. “The funds will match other banks and funders to assist 500 owner-occupant Lahaina homeowners impacted by the fire with the goal of preventing displacement of our local people and getting them the funds needed to rebuild.”

Other awards included:
$150,000 to Trust for Public Land’s revitalization of Aala Park
$100,000 to Catholic Charities Housing Development Corp.’s affordable housing pre- development loan fund
$100,000 to Hawai‘i HomeOwnership Center for capacity building and operational support
$60,000 to Oahu Economic Development Board for capacity building and operational support
$40,000 to The Salvation Army’s Community Assistance Center’s life skills program.

Earlier this month, Trust for Public Land gathered more than 75 volunteers from nine Hawai‘i companies, including ASB, for its annual “A Day on the Land,” a community impact event focused on stewarding Aala Park in Downtown Honolulu. On April 8, volunteers worked to improve the park by removing trash, cleaning graffiti, planting native trees and retouching murals.

“When I talk to people from other organizations and industries – from both private and public sectors – many of us have a common goal: to create a stronger, healthier Hawaii for future generations,” Teranishi told PBN. “Over the past several years, there has been great collaboration among organizations, like ASB’s partnership with the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines, with similar community-based values. If we continue leveraging our collective strengths, sharing ideas and resources and leaning on one another for support and expertise, we will be able to multiply our contributions and maximize our impact.

“As we look forward to our centennial in 2025, we will continue identifying new opportunities, such as collaborating with partners like the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines, to maximize our community impact,” Teranishi said.

See ASB’s 2023 Impact Report HERE
To see full article at Pacific Business News, visit here.

photo: American Savings Bank – Earlier this month, Trust for Public Land gathered for its annual “A Day on the Land,” a community impact event focused on connecting volunteers to steward Aala Park in Downtown Honolulu.

About Chanel Josiah

Chanel was born and raised on Oʻahu and now resides on Kaua’i with her husband and seven children. As a 5th-generation Hawaiian Home Lands lessee and homeowner, she has firsthand knowledge of the challenges families face in accessing housing, financial opportunities and resources both on and off homesteads. Her lived experiences and professional expertise inspire her passion for supporting others and strengthen her commitment to helping local and native Hawaiian families secure and sustain homes on their ancestral ‘āina, building lasting stability for themselves and generations to come.

Chanel also serves as the Board President of Pa‘a Lima, a nonprofit organization that offers support services and education to address houselessness, mental health challenges, financial literacy, and income instability. The organization is committed to breaking generational cycles and changing lives, with a special emphasis on supporting youth aging out of foster care.

As Operations Director, Chanel oversees marketing, community engagement, technical assistance, and operations. A key aspect of her role is connecting directly with communities to understand their needs and challenges. Drawing on her personal and professional experiences, Chanel approaches these challenges holistically, blending diverse perspectives to create innovative strategies that drive meaningful and lasting change for the communities she serves. “I’m grateful to be able to share our organization’s moʻomeheu (culture), moʻolelo (story) and kaunu (passion) with communities across Hawaiʻi, partners and investors who believe in the work we do.”

Chanel is inspired by her keiki, motivating her dedication to ensuring they can build their futures here in Hawai’i. She is also inspired by her tūtū kāne, Robert William Kalanihiapo Wilcox. “He was a fearless kānaka ‘ōiwi champion who encompassed the spirit of aloha ‘āina – the love of his land, and home just as we do now.” Outside of work, Chanel enjoys reading, practicing hula, and spending time at the beach with her ʻohana.

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About Aikū’ē Kalima

Aikū’ē Kalima, former Native Hawaiian Revolving Loan Fund Manager for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, joins Hawaiʻi Community Lending as its lending director.
Kalima comes to HCL with more than 25 years of experience in community development and mortgage lending. In his new position, Kalima will direct HCL’s consumer, construction, mortgage and small business lending.
“As a native Hawaiian and Hawaiian Home Lands beneficiary, I understand the financial needs for economic development and quality housing for kānaka is great,” said Kalima, who led OHA’s deployment of $9.8 million in loans to 286 native Hawaiians statewide over the last five years. “For over 25 years, I have worked tirelessly at the grassroots level, educating kānaka on the skills necessary to achieve the dream of homeownership and providing resources to achieve financial sustainability. I plan to continue serving the lāhui empowering ‘ohana and communities as the lending director for Hawai‘i Community Lending.”
Kalima takes the reins of HCL’s $16-million revolving loan fund and will oversee a team of seven staff members statewide. “HCL is honored to have Aikū’ē join us in our mission to help tackle our housing crisis by funding native Hawaiian and local families to build, buy and save homes from foreclosure,” said HCL Executive Director Jeff Gilbreath. “He has proven leadership in both the public and private sectors and has the passion to get families on the land through homeownership.”

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About Sean

Sean Perez loves hearing about the great things Hawai‘i Community Lending is doing for the Hawaiian community. And now as HCL’s new director of finance, he is excited to be part of the team making it happen.

“I enjoy hearing the success stories of new homes that we will soon be building and finding for these families,” he says. “HCL’s mission resonates well with me and my passion to help others and assist our community.”

To this end, Sean will manage HCL’s finances, accounting, compliance, and information technology matters; working with HCL Executive Director Jeff Gilbreath and supervising three division managers. He comes to HCL with over eight years of experience in financial management in the nonprofit and private, for-profit sectors having worked in the legal, social service, health, and telecommunications industries as well as with the US Attorney’s Office of Guam and CNMI. In his previous job as director of operations for the Hawai‘i State Bar Association where he was responsible for directing the organization’s finances, Sean grew his experience in nonprofit financial management and gained extensive background in accounting, grants management, IT and human resources. These skills, in conjunction with his drive to work with the Hawai‘i community through nonprofit assistance, led Sean to HCL.

Currently living in Honolulu, Sean was born in Tamuning, Guam. When he was 10 years old, he moved to Oxnard, Calif., where he attended school and eventually community college. The Air Force Reserves beckoned him after graduation, leading him to serve three and a half years as an aircrew flight equipment technician at March Air Reserve Base. After his military service, Sean returned to his childhood home of Guam, where he went to college to obtain a degree in finance and economics, and then to pursue an MBA.

On O‘ahu, Sean enjoys family life with his fiancée and toddler son; fishing and surfing in his time off. “I look forward to accomplishing great things with HCL and creating new success stories,” he says.

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About Nikki

Nikki Hollern is a mother of five, born and raised in Upcountry Maui, but she spent the last 15 years in the beautiful town of Lahaina. Lahaina stole her heart, with the people and the town being unlike any other. After the fire, her family had to relocate to Kahului.

Her heart remains in Lahaina, and her goal is to help this amazing community get back to where they belong. She feels blessed to have the opportunity to be part of the HCL ‘ohana, helping navigate this incredibly hard time and hopefully serving as a guiding light to assist the community in returning home and coming back even stronger.

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