Smart Living Hawaii

Today we will continue our Sustainable Leaders series and have a Talk Story with Blanch McMillen also known as AuntyBlanche. I have been meaning to meet this amazing woman and share her story for a while, and today is the day. She is the founder of Hui Mahi’ai’Āina, a homeless community program that provides village style housing, essential facilities, and long-term support for those facing hard times in Hawaii. Affordable housing for the state of Hawaii is one of our top sustainable initiatives. We are needing solutions to our problems, not bandaids and quick fixes, today we will talkabout solutions that provide hope, promise and a future! Aunty Blanche is a lifelong supporter of Waimanalo, whose unwavering dedication to her community has made her acornerstone of hope and support for Native Hawaiians facing economic hardship. Deeply rooted in faith and compassion, she views herself as “God’s instrument,” teaching love and ‘ohana (family) to all those she helps. Motivated by the struggles of her people—many of whom are unhoused and unable to afford living in their ancestralhome—Aunty Blanche took action. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she canvassed the Windward Coast to find and support those in need. With the help of volunteers, she established a homeless encampment on seven acres of vacant land, providing shelter, food, and medical support to over 60 people at Hui Mahi’ai 'Aina. She collaborates with nonprofits, churches, and local groups to keep her community safe, healthy, and housed. Contact Information: Website: Home - HuiMahi'ai 'Āina [https://huimahiaiaina.org/] www.huimahiaiaina.org [http://www.huimahiaiaina.org] Email: anuhea00@gmail.com [anuhea00@gmail.com] Phone: (808) 482-5883 Address: 41-092 Oluolu St, Waimanalo, HI 96795 Drop-Off Donation Times Mon – Sat: 9am – 5pm Sunday: 9am – 12pm You can reach Smart Living Hawaii at: Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.smartlivinghawaii.org⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@smartlivinghawaii⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠_orgFacebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@SmartLivingHawaii⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.orgIntro/Outro Music Compliments: Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://uppbeat.io/t/mountaineer/gotcha⁠⁠

Today we will continue our Sustainable Leaders series and have a Talk Story with Judy Meredith with PRMG Hawaii. Today we will be discussing land loans and how someone can obtain land to build on. A topic of discussion by many who are looking to find that perfect family land larger than the typical 5-10,000 square foot lot, something you can grow food on, live off of, have space away from the hustle bustle and stillafford it. Is this possible many ask and what does it take? Judy is an Expert Loan Officer and PRMG Hawaii Area Manager with a passion for helping clients achieve their financial goals. Serving all Hawaiian Islands and 48 states nationwide, she specializes in Conventional, VA, FHA, USDA,Renovation, and Reverse Mortgage loans as well as Out of the Box specialty transactions. A Board member of the Hawaii Association of Mortgage Brokers and the Veteran’s Association of Real Estate Professionals, she also teaches Continuing Education for Realtors and Financial Advisers. She is the author of the column “Equity Matters” and is also known as “ The Mortgage Professor.” She is dedicated to making the home loan process seamless through education and expertise. More Info:FB: @JudyTheMortgageProfessor: https://www.facebook.com/JudyTheMortgageProfessor [https://www.facebook.com/JudyTheMortgageProfessor] Instagram: @judythemortgagepro: https://www.instagram.com/judythemortgagepro/ [https://www.instagram.com/judythemortgagepro/] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@judythemortgagepro [https://www.youtube.com/@judythemortgagepro]Email:   JMeredith@PRMG.NET [JMeredith@PRMG.NET]  ( Direct): 808-222-7903 Address:📍  3049 Ualena Street Suite 310 Honolulu, HI 96819 You can reach Smart Living Hawaii at: Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.smartlivinghawaii.org⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@smartlivinghawaii⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠_orgFacebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@SmartLivingHawaii⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.orgIntro/Outro Music Compliments: Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):⁠⁠⁠⁠https://uppbeat.io/t/mountaineer/gotcha⁠⁠

Today we will continue our Sustainable Leaders series and have a Talk Story with Councilwomen, Andria Tupola. We will talk about affordable housing in Hawaii. The hurdles we face, how we are tackling the hurdles…also some solutions, ideas and action items worth discussing. Councilwoman Andria Tupola: Andria Tupola, Ph.D., was born in Kahuku, Oʻahu. She attended Kamehameha Schools and attended Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. She holds a doctorate from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. In 2014, Tupola was elected to represent District 43 (ʻEwa - Māʻili) in Hawaii’s State House of Representatives. In 2015 she became the first Samoan woman to serve as the State House Minority Leader and in 2016, she was re-elected to another term. In 2018, she was the Republican nominee in the Hawaii governor’s race. In 2021, Tupola was sworn in as Honolulu City Councilwoman to represent District 1 (ʻEwa Beach - Kaʻena Point). She served as Council Floor Leader and Chair of the Executive Matters and Legal Affairs Committee from 2021-2022. In 2023, she became Committee Chair for Public Infrastructure and Technology and in 2024 she was elected to a second term. More Info: FB: @AndriaTupola (20+) Facebook www.facebook.com/AndriaTupola Instagram: @andriatupola www.instagram.com/andriatupola/ Website: www.votetupola.com Priced Into Paradise: www.pricedintoparadise.com LinkedIn: (41) Andria Tupola | LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/andriatupola/ You can reach Smart Living Hawaii at: Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.smartlivinghawaii.org⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@smartlivinghawaii⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠_org Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@SmartLivingHawaii⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.org Intro/Outro Music Compliments: Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://uppbeat.io/t/mountaineer/gotcha⁠⁠

Today we will continue our Sustainable Leaders series and have a Talk Story with Mindy Jaffe, the worm lady. We will discuss composting, vermicomposting and how worms play a significant role in our food waste reduction and the hierarchy to reduce food waste while growing our community. We will share the hurdles and challenges faced over the last 20+ years in this waste sector and what we have overcome and accomplished thus far. Let’s learn together how we can support Hawaii’s future through composting! Mindy Jaffe: With over 20 years of experience, Mindy founded Waikiki Worm Company in 2004 which helped introduce vermicomposting to Hawaii. From there she became the coordinator of the Windward Zero waste School Hui, helped start the Oahu Worm Ohana and now working with the University of Hawaii as an educator in compositing. She is a wealth of knowledge and Hawaii is fortunate to have her dedicating her life to our food waste solutions. More Info: Facebook: @wormohana www.facebook.com/wormohana [http://www.facebook.com/wormohana] Instagram: @wormohana www.instagram.com/wormohana [http://www.instagram.com/wormohana] Website: www.wormohana.org [http://www.wormohana.org] and www.waikikiworm.com [http://www.waikikiworm.com] LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/wormohana [http://www.linkedin.com/company/wormohana] Email: mindy@waikikiworm.net [mindy@waikikiworm.net] You can reach Smart Living Hawaii at: Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.smartlivinghawaii.org⁠ [https://anchor.fm/dashboard/episode/e9vf8m/metadata/www.smartlivinghi.org] Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@smartlivinghawaii⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/smart_living_hawaii/]_org Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@SmartLivingHawaii⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/SmartLivingHawaii/].org Intro/Outro Music Compliments: Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): ⁠⁠⁠https://uppbeat.io/t/mountaineer/gotcha⁠⁠ [https://click.pstmrk.it/3s/uppbeat.io%2Ft%2Fmountaineer%2Fgotcha/vZub/WXSzAQ/AQ/1346bc39-3a1c-4b78-ada8-942e2d0c7b8a/4/RqGl6r9EVm]

Today we will continue our Sustainable Leaders series and have a Talk Story with Chad Waters, the founder and CEO of Hawaii Construction and Development Consulting HCDC. We will hear about a developers journey to sustainability and finding his true passion in green and sustainable building and development here in Hawaii. The hurdles, challenges and what he is doing to overcome them. With over 25 years of experience in the real estate and development industries, Chad combines proven strategies and progressive visions to create smarter, more sustainable solutions for building in Hawaii. During his downtime, Chad enjoys spending quality time with his family and friends and strives for a good work/life balance. He looks for inspiration from nature when hiking, standup paddling, and canoe paddling. More Info: FB: https://www.facebook.com/hawaiicdc [https://www.facebook.com/hawaiicdc] @hawaiicdc Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hawaiicdc/ [https://www.instagram.com/hawaiicdc/] @hawaiicdc Website: www.hawaiicdc.com [http://www.hawaiicdc.com] LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/chad-waters [https://www.linkedin.com/in/chad-waters] and https://www.linkedin.com/company/hawaii-construction-and-development-consulting/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/hawaii-construction-and-development-consulting/] Email: info@hawaiicdc.com [info@hawaiicdc.com] You can reach Smart Living Hawaii at: Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.smartlivinghawaii.org⁠⁠ [https://anchor.fm/dashboard/episode/e9vf8m/metadata/www.smartlivinghi.org] Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@smartlivinghawaii⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/smart_living_hawaii/]_org Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@SmartLivingHawaii⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/SmartLivingHawaii/].org Intro/Outro Music Compliments: Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://uppbeat.io/t/mountaineer/gotcha⁠⁠⁠ [https://click.pstmrk.it/3s/uppbeat.io%2Ft%2Fmountaineer%2Fgotcha/vZub/WXSzAQ/AQ/1346bc39-3a1c-4b78-ada8-942e2d0c7b8a/4/RqGl6r9EVm]