Column: Community health in Hawaii is measured by well-being of all

As we begin to emerge from the most challenging time in recent history, a sense of hope is on the horizon.

In August, Hawaii schools will reopen and children will return to in-person classroom instruction. That’s good news for families with children.

But for many barely surviving, the pandemic continues to take an unsettling toll.

In communities struggling with poverty, COVID-19 has only intensified the challenges that families were already enduring. Job losses resulting in deeper economic fallout, critical supply shortages and high infection rates have had devastating and disproportionate impacts on families near or below poverty level. Disparities in learning also amplified as students from low-income households fared worse than the general student population when schools transitioned to online classes, further widening the digital and educational divide.

As a result, many students will return to school having fallen far behind, with those who were already struggling pre-pandemic falling farthest.

The uncomfortable truth about our island home is that the majority of our households are ALICE families. ALICE is an acronym for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. ALICE households have income above the federal poverty level but below the basic cost of living. In 2020, the number of Hawaii households considered ALICE or below poverty level rose from 42% to an estimated 59%.

Think about that. Six out of 10 households can’t afford to live in Hawaii. Is it really a surprise that many families are forced to choose between paying rent and buying school supplies?

At Parents And Children Together (PACT), we are a part of a network of educational and social service providers that partner with individuals and families throughout the state, majority are ALICE households.

With the support of our community partners, we’ve come together in positive ways by swiftly responding to help families impacted by financial hardship, unstable housing and chronic stress. However, the hardest- hit families continue to face significant challenges and we have to do more.

At-risk families typically struggle to put food on the table. For many children, school is a daily wellness stop where they receive a hot lunch, so the state Department of Education (DOE) responded with grab-and-go lunches at schools to fill the void. From the start of the pandemic, PACT volunteers continue to serve 300 grab-and- go lunches every weekday to keiki and youth at community/teen centers in Kalihi and Aiea to help families experiencing hunger, some for the first time.

When kids return to school, many will arrive without school supplies and proper clothing, including school uniforms that they can’t afford. As they do every year, Hawaii’s public school teachers will step in to help. In 2019, the Economic Policy Institute estimated our teachers spend $561 of their own money on school supplies, the third-highest level of personal spending in the country.

So, as we welcome our schools reopening in August, we must not forget the growing population struggling to survive, often hidden in plain sight, and yet living right in our own neighborhoods. Let’s keep in mind that the health of our community is measured by the health of everyone and not just some. We are all connected and right now, we need to support each other more than ever.

Please consider volunteering at a summer lunch program, donating school supplies or supporting organizations that provide assistance to the hardest-hit families statewide. Together, we can help build resilience in our children, our families and our communities to create safe and promising futures for all.

Ryan Kusumoto is CEO of Parents And Children Together, a nonprofit working with a network of community partners to provide educational and social services to families.