Updates from Hōkūpaʻa

Big or small, there’s always a way to make a positive difference.

This month, we’re celebrating our collaborative Cup-of-Cheer public school staff appreciation events, and sharing how you can help support them. We’re also encouraging participation in the 2026 State legislative session that just kicked off!

If you’re new or looking for a refresher on Hōkūpa‘a, check out our About Page. Previous newsletters are in the Archive Page.

Bright Spots: Stories of Impact
Cup-of-Cheer

Featured Event:
Legislative Session 2026

Hawaiʻi’s 2026 legislative session recently began at the capitol, and more bills are introduced every day.

There are many ways to be involved, including: tracking bills, attending committee hearings, submitting testimony, contacting legislators, and raising awareness and dialogues about the issues under discussion. Online testimony and livestreamed hearings make it accessible to participate, or at least listen in from Hawai‘i Island.

We encourage our readers to find a comfortable (or exciting!) level of involvement, as these legislative decisions will affect communities for us and the next generations. Those that are too young to vote can still make their very impactful voices heard, as well.

This button links to the Capitol.Hawaii.gov website, where you can find legislators, committee members, bills, resolutions, and more.

If you’re new to this, want a refresher, or seek to deepen your skills and knowledge, we highly recommend the Public Access Room (PAR) from the Legislative Reference Bureau. They are all about helping the public learn and be involved.

These buttons link to some great starter pages, and we encourage you to explore the rest of the website. You can also contact PAR directly for more help.

Your Voice

“Know the depth of your commitment and be comfortable with it. Do you want to… just be there to show support for someone or something? That’s fine. Or do you want to devote the rest of your life to the process? …Both approaches, and all the ones in between, are important.”

— former Public Access Room coordinator, Suzanne Marinelli, from https://lrb.hawaii.gov/par/how-to-enjoy-a-public-hearing/

Reach out!

• Get in touch using our contact page.

• Let us know if you have resources, events, or other opportunities that you’d like us to share in the next newsletter or within our networks.