HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0774.029 2018-2020 • I
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COUNTY CLERK
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June 2, 2020 Date JUN 0 3 2020
Testimony in Support of Communication 774.12 (Bill No, 144,Draft 3): Proposal to Amend General
Fund by$10,000 to Subsidize the Committee on the Status of Women
Aloha Council Chair Chung and Members of Hawaii County Council,
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How does Hawai`i County single-handedly connect women, individuals and families to a life-saving
network of urgent community resources and social services? Through the stewardship of the Committee t
on the Status of Women(CSW)and its distribution of the Hawaii Island Urgent Services Directory for
Families. This is the highlight of my testimony.
My community partnership with CSW began in 2012.Not everyone knows where to turn or feels safe
seeking help. As a Rural Outreach Services(ROSI) Coordinator for the Department of Labor&Industrial
Relations,I was able to put hundreds of copies of this valuable Directory in the hands of school families
across North and West Hawaii,and Hamakua.
Hundreds more women have received the Directory=at the Hawaii Island Women's Leadership Summit
since 2015 through CSW's founding partnership with the Hawaii Island Women's Leadership Forum
(HIWLF).
Why is this important'? As a representative body of Hawaii County,the Committee on the Status of
Women is a lifeline to vulnerable families,individuals --and especially women and girls of all ages--
across our island. With domestic violence on the rise and the increased need for resources to protect
against additional risks like food insecurity,substance abuse and lack of safe shelter in these times of
COVID-19,the continuity of CSW's work as a Hawaii County information hub,a vital link to
community resource partners and a champion of women's and girls' issues is now more critical than ever.
Please vote favorably on Communication 774.12 to fiord the Committee on the Status of Women.
Mahalo a nui loa,
Christine Hijirida
Former Rural Outreach Services (ROSI) Coordinator-Department of Labor&Industrial Relations
2018 Chair-Hawai`i Island Women's Leadership Summit
Comm. No. e 24.1-4
Ref. To: P I OW i
Ref.tate JUN - 4 2020