Kona Resilience Hub

​The Kona Resilience Hub will serve as a vital resource in Kailua-Kona, Hawai'i, supporting both immediate disaster response and long-term community resilience. By providing emergency services and promoting community well-being through training, education, and social cohesion, the Hub will focus on disaster preparedness and local resilience to climate change, natural disasters, as well as any other form of emergency.

Emergency Response:

Offer a safe space, shelter, resource distribution, and communication. Store supplies, dry goods, and water. Solar energy systems with storage and backup generators will ensure continuous operation, while radios and satellite internet will keep the community connected during power outages.

Community Resilience and Development:

The hub will focus on community development through workshops, local events and cultural activities including:

• Disaster Preparedness 

• First Aid & CPR training 

• Incident Management, Conflict Resolution and Communication Skills Training

• Mental Health support 

• Shelter, sustainable structures and natural building

• Youth programs & intergenerational activities

• Cultural activities, gatherings, community markets

• fire prevention and mitigation strategies

  
  

Community Partnerships:

We recognize to be successful we need to have a broad, collaborative reach. Our partnerships with the County and other nonprofit organizations will allow us to share the hub with a wide, diverse network. Our work is strengthened through key partnerships with organizations that share our commitment to resilience and preparedness.

Partners and Collaborators

Vibrant Hawai'i & Resilience Hub Network

Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)

Civil Defense

Keiki Museum

University of the Nations

Parks & Recreation

Hawaii Island Agricultural Partnership (HIAP) 

Hamakua Institute

County of Hawai’i

Salvation Army

Amy Greenwell EthnoBotancial Garden

Paying it Forward West Hawaii

West Hawaii Mediation Center

We are part of the Resilience Hub Network with the mission to build community skills to address vulnerabilities and enhance resilience island wide, where we are provided annual training and resources for emergency management and community resilience. We have a partnership with Parks and Rec where we can use their facilities for emergencies and community functions. Aranya Solutions, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, will operate the Kona Resilience Hub and provide a platform to receive donations to keep the center going. 

The need for the Kona Resilience Center is underscored by recent events like the Lahaina fire, which highlighted the urgency for improved resilience hubs and communication networks. Our center will address these needs by providing a robust infrastructure for emergency support and a platform for ongoing community engagement and skill development.

The devastating wildfires in Hawai‘i revealed critical gaps in disaster preparedness. Civil Defense studies identify primary threats in Kona are risks of floods, landslides, tsunamis, and supply chain disruptions. Kona's coastal location, infrastructure, and large tourist population increase its vulnerability in communicating with transient and local community members.

Currently, Kona lacks a community center and a facility for emergency supplies, resource distribution, and resilience-building. Communications networks are fragmented, and many residents lack essential skills in preparedness and self-sufficiency. Traditional knowledge, such as food cultivation and disaster readiness, has diminished, leaving communities unprepared for evolving challenges.

The KRH will address these gaps by providing a space for shelter, emergency resources, skill strengthening, community building, communication platform, empowering residents by fostering social cohesion to better navigate future crises.

Our center will be executed in phases, beginning with identifying the needs in the community, securing a physical space and acquiring necessary equipment. Once operational, the center will serve as a catalyst for collective action towards a sustainable and resilient future, providing educational programs to meet the needs, making a lasting impact on our community's ability to thrive amidst challenges.

Our process:

1: Strategic Outreach: Establish a network of trusted Points of Contact (POCs) across schools, youth groups, CERT members, property managers, and local organizations.

2: Communication Protocols: Develop layered communication systems using radios, apps, and Starlink to ensure reliable information sharing during emergencies.

3: Technology & Drills: Acquire key technology assets and conduct regular drills to maintain connectivity during power or Wi-Fi outages. 

4. Build Community trust and knowledge:  Host workshops, local events and cultural activities. 

Community Needs Survey & Get Involved in the Hub!

We are asking the community what their needs and interests are, feel free to share this survey with community members in Kona so we can connect them to resources with the Kona Resilience Hub. We are also mapping assets, buildings, and resources in Kona - please let us know of any that should be on our radar, and introductions if applicable.