Guest Speaker: Rita Palma — Hawaiʻi Island Home for Recovery

Friday, October 30, 2026

Join us as we welcome Rita Palma, Executive Director of Hawaiʻi Island Home for Recovery (HIHR), a Hilo-based nonprofit dedicated to helping individuals and families experiencing homelessness rebuild their lives and achieve lasting stability and independence.

For more than 20 years, HIHR has provided housing assistance and individualized support services using evidence-based, low-barrier approaches. Its programs help people access transitional housing, permanent supportive housing, and long-term housing while developing life skills, increasing financial independence, and connecting with essential community resources.

Rita will share how HIHR serves our island community, the challenges faced by those experiencing homelessness, and how the organization's programs help people move toward recovery, self-sufficiency, and a brighter future.

A special highlight of our meeting will be the presentation of a donation check from the Rotary Club of Hilo Foundation, representing proceeds from the Hilo Brewfest, in support of HIHR's important work.

Our Rotary Club already shares a meaningful connection with HIHR through our Go Cook 'Um volunteer meal program. This presentation offers another opportunity to learn about the people and programs making a difference right here on Hawaiʻi Island.

Come learn, ask questions, and discover how community partnerships help change lives.

HILO ROTARY CLUB WELCOMES Guest Speaker: Officer Shane Hanley — Fraud Prevention & Community Safety

How can we better protect ourselves, our families, and our community from fraud and scams?

Join the Rotary Club of Hilo as we welcome Officer Shane Hanley of the Hawaiʻi Police Department (HPD) for a timely presentation on fraud prevention and community safety.

As scams and fraudulent schemes continue to affect individuals, families, and businesses, understanding how to recognize warning signs and protect personal and financial information is increasingly important.

Officer Hanley's presentation will provide an opportunity to learn more about fraud prevention, ask questions, and explore ways we can help keep ourselves and our community safer.

About Our Speaker

Shane Hanley is a 13-year veteran of the Hawaiʻi Police Department, with more than a decade of experience serving the South Hilo District. He currently serves as the Community Police Officer for the Keaukaha area, where he is proud to support and engage with the local community.

Beyond his law enforcement duties, Shane has volunteered with the Hilo Brewfest and organized an after-school Dungeons & Dragons program for students in the Hilo and Puna areas, demonstrating his commitment to community involvement and youth engagement.

Join us for an informative and interactive conversation about fraud prevention and how we can work together to build a safer community.

From Conflict to Coexistence

Exploring Solutions for Cats, Wildlife, and Our Communities

What if we've been fighting over the wrong solutions?

For years, Hawaiʻi has struggled with difficult questions about free-roaming cats, native wildlife, animal welfare, and community responsibility. The debate has become increasingly divisive, yet the underlying problems continue.

Why?

What if some of our most familiar approaches are addressing the consequences of the problem rather than its causes? And what if protecting wildlife, reducing unwanted cats, and treating animals humanely aren't competing goals after all?

Join fellow Rotarian Greg Puʻuwai Aloha Baker, MBA, founder of Hawaiʻi Animal Advocacy, for a thought-provoking exploration of the science, assumptions, and overlooked opportunities behind one of Hawaiʻi's most persistent community challenges.

We'll examine why familiar approaches often fall short, what the evidence reveals, and how a different way of thinking could open the door to practical solutions.

You may leave seeing the entire issue differently.

This presentation introduces From Conflict to Coexistence, a new Hawaiʻi Animal Advocacy community conversation series exploring practical, science-based solutions for animals, wildlife, and our communities.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER & HAA FOUNDER

Greg Puʻuwai Aloha Baker, MBA, is an emerging Hawaiʻi-based expert in humane, science-based cat population management whose work uniquely integrates field colony management, high-volume sterilization, formal population-management training, scientific research, conservation analysis, and public-policy development.

His experience includes:

5 years managing 8 community-cat colonies, at times caring for 120+ cats seven nights a week • 120+ cats personally trapped and TNR'd • 4,500+ sterilizations supported through PetFix • 30+ cats in a home sanctuary • College certificate in Community Cat Program Management • Author of 24+ science-based cat management briefs • Hawaiʻi legislative and DLNR testimony • Creator of the Coexistence Framework, Conservation Evidence & Accountability Standard (CEAS), and Managed Cats management doctrine.

Baker's work bridges the gap between hands-on cat management, conservation science, and government policy—bringing each into one integrated population-management approach.

Hawaiʻi Animal Advocacy
www.HawaiiAnimalAdvocacy.org