Episode #65
065: How Our Kupuna Supports Hawaii's Seniors Through Grocery Delivery, Care Navigation, and Friendly Check-ins
In This Episode We chat with Juna Sanchez and Primrose Lehualani Kekahuna Harris from Our Kupuna, a Hawaii nonprofit helping kupuna stay independent, connected, and supported at home — through the power of volunteers. About Our Kupuna Our Kupuna's Volunteer Connections Program, launched in 2020, matches volunteers with kupuna across the islands to help with grocery shopping, medication pickup, and essential errands. The organization also runs a Phone Buddy program, offering weekly check-in calls, and a Pen Pal program, where volunteers — often local high schoolers or Girl Scouts — send handwritten letters and cards to their matched kupuna each month. Both programs were created to fight isolation and bring a little joy into seniors' daily lives. In late 2023, Our Kupuna launched the Aloha Maui Program in response to the fires, serving kupuna 60 and older who were directly impacted. The program has grown from urgent essential-needs delivery into an ongoing effort that includes monthly food deliveries in partnership with the Maui Food Bank, Lyft-coordinated transportation to medical appointments, and hands-on care navigation to connect displaced kupuna with housing, financial assistance, and other resources. Many of the seniors they serve are not on social media or comfortable navigating services online. Join us as Lehua and Juna talk story about the work they do and its impact on our Hawaii kupuna! Get Involved Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer or referring a kupuna can visit ourkupuna.com or call 808-215-0073. While kupuna referrals are typically made through a healthcare professional, social worker, or case manager, Juna and Lehua encourage anyone with questions to simply reach out. Follow and Review: We'd love for you to follow us if you haven't yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts . Simply select "Ratings and Reviews" and "Write a Review" then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.
