Hoʻi i ka Piko Returning to our Center for Recovery and Healing is a reminder that our ancestors lived in balance with ʻāina, spirit, and relationships. They perpetuated knowledge through oli, and kaʻao (stories) about the deep knowing that our well-being was inseparable from the world around us. That piece called us to return to our piko, to the center of who we are as kānaka, and to reimagine recovery and healing not as a foreign concept, but as a journey of remembering, restoring, and reconnecting.

APPLY BY SEPTEMBER 29, 2025 Papa Ola Lōkahi is seeking a full-time Program Coordinator who will be working in Hawai'i with the Peau o le Vasa and Ho'okele programs

Michele recently embarked on a new chapter as an Administrative Operations Specialist with Papa Ola Lōkahi, starting in August 2023. Before this role, she dedicated over 26 years to Kaiser Permanente. Her work with Papa Ola Lōkahi has been a remarkable journey, allowing her to connect more deeply with her Native Hawaiian heritage and inspiring her to explore the culture further. Born and raised in O'ahu, Michele has strong ties to Kaua'i and loves her memories with her ‘ohana. She’s been married for 30 years and has two kids: a daughter in her senior year at Dartmouth and a son in his senior year at Kamehameha Schools. Their milestones keep her busy, and she’s excited for their graduations next year. She's passionate about photography and videography, particularly enjoying the magic of capturing candid moments. Recently, Michele has also discovered a new love for lei making, which began with the foliage her husband grows in their backyard. The real joy, however, comes from the priceless memories created with her ‘ohana during this fulfilling and therapeutic practice.

ʻŌiwi Breastfeeding Week is observed from August 8–14, 2025. This week is dedicated to celebrating and supporting hānai waiū, breastfeeding. It is a time to honor the joys and challenges that come with hānai waiū, and to uplift the experiences of our ʻohana who choose to and/or can hānai waiū to their keiki.

Native Hawaiian Health Scholarship Program - POL screens, interviews, counsels, mentors, places into the workforce and monitors throughout. The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) accepts our recommendations, usually, and awards the scholars. HRSA pays the tuitions directly to their respective schools, and to the students directly pays the monthly living stipends and other related school expenses.

Today, Papa Ola Lōkahi's CEO Dr. Sheri Ann Daniels appeared as a minority witness for the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs'  (SCIA) Oversight Hearing related to Federal Programs serving Native Americans across the Operating Divisions at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). We thank Chair Murkowski and Vice Chair Schatz for their leadership and the entire committee for shining a light on how HHS programs must be maintained for the betterment of native communities across the country and especially for Native Hawaiians.