It's been an amazing 2018.

As of today, we've raised more than $312,000 towards securing a permanent place for the people of Puʻuhonua O Waiʻanae. We're well into our $1.5 million fundraising campaign and are thrilled with how far we've come. But we still have a long way to go.

If you haven't already, will you chip in now to contribute to the future of Puʻuhonua O Waiʻanae? Click here to make a tax-deductible gift now that will count in 2018.

It's hard to believe that this year started out with the threat of sweeps at the Waiʻanae Boat Harbor. That time was so full of anxiety as we waited to find out the fates of 250 Puʻuhonua O Waiʻanae residents, including more than 50 keiki.

But then, we brought our fight against the sweeps to the State Capitol and the Waiʻanae neighborhood board. We were on the front page of the paper more than once. We organized enough that finally, Governor Ige sat down with Twinkle in person to promise no more sweeps and that his office would help Twinkle find a permanent place for her village.

And that was only the first four months of this year.

Today, we can count hundreds of Hawaii residents—including business and spiritual leaders, government officials, social changemakers and creatives—among our allies. We have been blessed to receive $500,000 in committed matching donations. That means if we can raise $500,000 from grassroots donations and other sources, it will be doubled.

With the end of the year approaching, please consider making a donation to help us toward our $1.5 million goal. Your generosity will help us buy land and put basic communal infrastructure in place—like water, waste management, fire access roads, a food garden and a community kitchen.

Click here to chip in now to help secure a permanent place for Puʻuhonua O Waiʻanae. Any amount is a meaningful gift to us.

Wow. Last Friday, Twinkle and her right hand man, Pakele, accepted a $150,000 check from the REITWayHawaii campaign.

And because of a generous matching grant, that $150,000 became $300,000 to help secure a permanent place for Puʻuhonua O Waiʻanae.

The outpouring of support this past week has been incredible. In the past few days, Twinkle and Pakele have been on the front page of The Star Advertiser and featured on Hawaii Public Radio. After that great coverage, more than $4,000 in additional donations has come in.

With all this positive coverage at the end of 2018, the new year is going to be a critical time to expand our campaign—through house parties, car washes, local business outreach, social media and more.

Email us at info@alohaliveshere.org if you want to get involved!