Hawai‘i Island nonprofit seeks community support for transitional housing project

Charis Higginson, founder of nonprofit Humanity Hale, is looking to scale the organization's operations in West Hawaiʻi. 

“I’m a kid from Kona who suffered from trauma and I wanted to create a safe place, something that I needed as a child,” she recently told Aloha State Daily. “I decided to take the road of healing. It has given me the strength to help others and offer them love and understanding."

Established in 2019, Humanity Hale serves local foster children and youth through its free trauma-based support programs; Hawaiian arts and culture activities, group and individual therapy, abuse prevention and diversity training, mentorship and more.

“No kid gets turned away,” Higginson said. “We offer 24/7 trauma support to talk them through a crisis. Our overall goal is to support them all the time, not just on the days we meet. They’re family.”

Over the years, Humanity Hale has also grown its partnerships to bring trauma support into local schools. Beyond the classroom, the organization’s Life Skills program includes curriculum on time and money management; social, emotional, and communication skills; workforce development; and gardening, among other areas.

During summer, the nonprofit will offer ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi classes and hula programming for ages 8 to 17. “We encourage the kids to go back to their roots, be in the ʻāina, learn new skills and get their family involved,” said Higginson, who also aims to provide support to parents through group counseling and other services.

"You have to heal the family as a whole,” she added. “My superpower is that I’m so full of love, which is the best teacher. I often advise the kids, ‘Please don’t fall into victimhood. Your trauma is not your fault, but your healing is your responsibility’.”

Grants and donations have helped keep the organization, with a $240,000 annual budget, afloat. Operating costs include employee wages, youth mentor stipends and transportation and program materials, according to Humanity Hale’s website.

Higginson said, “I worked three jobs to self-fund Humanity Hale – I did it on my own. We didn’t receive funding for almost a year, until private funders started believing in the good work we’re doing.” 

Now, the nonprofit has launched its first-ever GoFundMe campaign to raise $550,000 to acquire 10 acres of farmland in Captain Cook, which has existing housing to accommodate 16 homeless youth right away. She said she plans to add 16 additional units, including on-site housing for two paid Den Mothers, and to pay for the mortgage, insurance, fencing, home furnishings and security systems, which brings the total cost above $1 million.

“There are little to no grants for land acquisition, so that’s what we need most,” Higginson noted. In the meantime, she is hiring for eight more positions.

“I am here to protect the children. We do thorough background checks,” she said. “For this project, we’ll need Den Mothers, a farm manager, tutors, therapists, support staff and volunteer mentors."

Higginson is also working out how to pay those living on the property an hourly wage managing the farm, provide opportunities for college, continued therapy and communal meals. Her vision for this safe haven also includes a community center for neighbors to enjoy and come together.

“We want to make a difference on this island and create change, so connecting with community partners that have the same heart-centered mission as us has been amazing.”

In the long-term, Higginson wants to build a group foster home and continue expanding within Hawai’i Island and beyond. “This is needed everywhere and there’s no duplicate services. We’re trying to run it as much as we can from a place where these kids will be supported as long as they need.”

CONTACT
Humanity Hale
Charis Higginson, founder
Email: HumanityHale@gmail.com
Website: humanityhale.org
Instagram and Facebook: @humanityhale