Founded in 2003 by Kim and Jack Johnson, the Kōkua Hawai‘i Foundation has grown from a small, community-based nonprofit group into a thriving organization with a dazzling array of programs that support environmental education for all ages. For the past two decades, Kōkua Hawai‘i Foundation has nurtured these programs and connected with keiki (children) and community to create a healthier future for Hawai‘i. 

During the first year of operation, Kōkua Hawai‘i Foundation launched the 3Rs School Program. The program works with students in grades K-12 on O‘ahu to raise awareness of waste and drive action in their schools. Through the program, students are taught how to implement recycling systems for their classroom, grade level, or schoolwide. Kōkua Hawai‘i Foundation also partners with schools to host their own recycling drives where the community can bring in accepted materials such as cans, bottles, electronics, used cooking oil, clothing, and household goods. The proceeds from all recycled materials go back to the host school.

In 2006, the ‘ĀINA In Schools program, a farm-to-school initiative connecting children to their local land, waters, and food to grow a healthier Hawaiʻi, was launched. The nutrition education component of the program is geared toward second- and sixth-grade students and presents eight lessons to help them make healthy life choices that last a lifetime. Kindergarten, first-, fourth-, and fifth-grade students have the opportunity to connect with nature through the garden-based learning portion of the program. During eight sessions, students are taught skills such as planting seeds, caring for native plants, producing, and harvesting. To emphasize the use of local, fresh products in school lunches and snack programs, Kōkua Hawai‘i Foundation’s ‘ĀINA In Schools program also has a Healthy Foods on Campus component to get more local, scratch-cooked meals and snacks into school feeding programs. 

Kōkua Hawai‘i Foundation Field Trip and Project Grants followed shortly thereafter. Project Grants allow teachers from Hawai‘i’s public schools to advance their environmental education goals. The funds awarded help public school teachers do things like purchase supplies for a classroom garden, attend vermicompost training, and more. Field Trip Grants can be used to transport students to outdoor sites, giving them an opportunity to experience hands-on learning about Hawai‘i’s environment. 

In 2009, the Plastic Free Haleʻiwa program started with the support of 55 businesses that committed to minimizing single-use plastics in Haleʻiwa town. By 2011, the Plastic Free Hawaiʻi program expanded to include the entire state of Hawai‘i, offering schools and businesses presentations on single-use plastics and alternatives that consumers can choose. Through community outreach at events and beach cleanups, they educate the community about single-use plastics and their environmental impact. This program also allows local businesses, small groups, and organizations to get involved by renting a Plastic Free Hawaiʻi water station for an upcoming event. This offers a low-waste solution to eliminate plastic cups and water bottles at events. 

Since 2019, Kōkua Hawaiʻi Foundation has cared for eight acres of land in the heart of Haleʻiwa. This space serves as a hub for agricultural, educational, and retail activities that benefit the community while promoting local food, reducing waste, and fostering environmental stewardship. The Kōkua Learning Farm is an educational and agricultural destination that inspires learners of all ages to actively support their local food systems. Today, the Kōkua Learning Farm is home to vegetable and flower production rows, Agroforestry Orchard, Apiary & Bee Observation Station, several lo‘i (wetland taro field), Constructed Native Wetland, Hawaiian Garden, nursery, and the newly established in-vessel compost machine. The Kōkua Learning Farm hosts field trips where students can learn about all aspects of our food system and monthly Community Workdays held on the first Saturday of each month from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Volunteers participate in activities like mulching the gardens, weeding, nursery work or harvesting fruits and vegetables.

The Kōkua Learning Farm Youth also hosts programs, including field trips, that provide an enriching experience for students of all ages and allow visitors to explore various aspects of our food system. The Kōkua Learning Farm Internship program provides on-farm training to build skills around agroecology, food production, culinary explorations, soil health, and composting. Launched this year, the Kōkua Compost Program was launched on the Kōkua Learning Farm with a new in-vessel composter. The Kōkua Compost Program engages keiki and community in hands-on learning about the importance of turning waste into healthy soil. 

Kōkua Hawai‘i Foundation also has a handful of mission-aligned businesses that help carry out its program initiatives throughout the community. In April 2022, they launched the Kōkua General Store located on Kamehameha Highway in front of their Kōkua Learning Farm. The store specializes in bulk, refill, and low-waste lifestyle products. From tablet toothpaste to bulk clothing detergent and beeswax food wraps, the store offers the community the tools it needs to reduce waste. The Kōkua General Store also offers an array of community events, such as quarterly clothing swaps that give the community a chance to clear out their closets and refresh their wardrobes without purchasing new pieces.

Within the Kōkua General Store is Kōkua Vintage, which offers a curated collection of second-hand clothing, records, housewares, artwork, and more. From retro mu‘umu‘u to quality pieces of furniture, searching the racks of Kōkua Vintage is like a treasure hunt for the sustainable-minded shopper.

In November 2024, Kōkua Hawaiʻi Foundation opened the ʻĀINA Farm Stand, another mission-aligned business connecting the community to where their food comes from. The ʻĀINA Farm Stand offers seasonal, farm-fresh produce from the Kōkua Learning Farm, other local farmers and food producers, as well as coffee, cafe items, value-added products, meat, seafood, locally grown flowers, and lei. 

The strides the Kōkua Hawai‘i Foundation has made during the past twenty years have been remarkable. By educating the keiki and branching out into the community, they have planted the seeds for a brighter future for Hawai‘i. 

Kōkua Hawai‘i Foundation; 66-249 Kamehameha Highway, Hale‘iwa; (808) 638-5145; kokuahawaiifoundation.org; Office hours Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

Kōkua General Store and Kōkua Vintage; 66-249 Kamehameha Highway, Hale‘iwa; (808) 744-5222; kokuahawaiifoundation.org/kokua-general-store and kokuahawaiifoundation.org/kokua-vintage; Open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m.to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

ʻĀINA Farm Stand; 66-249 Kamehameha Highway, Unit B, Haleʻiwa; (808)260-1900; kokuahawaiifoundation.org/aina-farm-stand; Open Wednesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.