Helping People Rebuild Their Lives — Hawaiʻi Island Home for Recovery

Community Service | Housing, Recovery & Community Partnerships

Supporting pathways from homelessness to stability, independence, and renewed hope.

Everyone deserves a safe place to call home and an opportunity to build a better future.

Through our partnership with Hawaiʻi Island Home for Recovery (HIHR), the Rotary Club of Hilo helps support people and families experiencing homelessness as they work toward stable housing, greater independence, and lasting positive change.

From preparing meals through our Go Cook ʻUm volunteer program to providing financial support through proceeds from Hilo Brewfest, our club is proud to stand alongside organizations making a meaningful difference in our island community.

Program at a Glance

What We Do: Support Hawaiʻi Island Home for Recovery through volunteer meal preparation, community partnerships, and financial contributions from Rotary fundraising efforts.

Where: Hilo, Hawaiʻi, serving individuals and families experiencing homelessness on Hawaiʻi Island.

Who Benefits: Individuals and families working to overcome homelessness, secure stable housing, and rebuild their lives.

Our Community Partner: Hawaiʻi Island Home for Recovery (HIHR), a Hilo-based nonprofit providing housing assistance and individualized support services, learn more at www.hihrecovery.org

Rotary Programs Involved: Go Cook ʻUm volunteer meal program, Hilo Brewfest, and the Rotary Club of Hilo Foundation.

Community Contact: Hawaiʻi Island Home for Recovery — Rita Palma, Executive Director.

How to Help: Participate in Rotary volunteer activities, support Hilo Brewfest, and learn more about organizations addressing homelessness in our community.

About Our Community Partner

Creating Pathways to Stability and Independence

For more than 20 years, Hawaiʻi Island Home for Recovery has helped individuals and families experiencing homelessness work toward a more stable and independent future.

HIHR recognizes that overcoming homelessness often requires much more than finding a place to live. People may also need assistance accessing essential services, developing life skills, improving financial stability, and navigating the challenges that can make it difficult to secure and maintain housing.

Through evidence-based, low-barrier approaches and individualized support, HIHR helps people access transitional housing, permanent supportive housing, and longer-term housing opportunities.

Its work focuses on helping individuals build the skills, resources, and connections necessary to regain stability and move forward with confidence.

More Than Housing — Helping People Rebuild Their Lives

A safe and stable home can be the foundation for meaningful change.

With housing and appropriate support, individuals and families have greater opportunities to focus on their health, employment, education, personal goals, and relationships.

HIHR's programs recognize that each person's circumstances are different. By providing individualized assistance and connections to community resources, the organization helps people address barriers and develop pathways toward greater self-sufficiency.

This approach reflects an important principle: lasting recovery and stability are built through opportunity, practical support, and sustained community care.

How Hilo Rotary Helps

Go Cook ʻUm — Sharing Meals and Aloha

One of the ways the Rotary Club of Hilo supports Hawaiʻi Island Home for Recovery is through our Go Cook ʻUm volunteer meal program.

Rotary members come together to prepare meals, share their time and talents, and provide practical support for people served by community organizations.

It's a hands-on expression of Service Above Self — helping meet an immediate need while strengthening the connections that make our community more caring and supportive.

Hilo Brewfest — Turning Community Celebration Into Community Support

Hilo Brewfest is more than an annual celebration of food, beverages, and friendship. It's also an important fundraiser that makes meaningful community service possible.

Through the generosity of festival guests, sponsors, businesses, and volunteers, proceeds from Hilo Brewfest help support local nonprofit organizations, including Hawaiʻi Island Home for Recovery.

The Rotary Club of Hilo Foundation directs financial support to organizations whose work addresses important community needs.

[Learn More About Hilo Brewfest]

Our Community Impact — Service in Action

Our partnership with Hawaiʻi Island Home for Recovery brings together volunteer service, financial support, and opportunities to learn more about the needs of our community.

Here are some of the moments and activities that demonstrate this commitment.

October 30, 2026 — Welcoming Rita Palma

Rotary Club of Hilo | Guest Speaker & Foundation Donation Presentation

The Rotary Club of Hilo welcomes Rita Palma, Executive Director of Hawaiʻi Island Home for Recovery, as our featured guest speaker on Friday, October 30, 2026.

Rita will share how HIHR serves people experiencing homelessness, the challenges they face, and how individualized housing and support programs help create pathways toward recovery, greater independence, and lasting stability.

A special highlight of the meeting will be the presentation of a donation check from the Rotary Club of Hilo Foundation, representing proceeds from Hilo Brewfest.

This presentation celebrates the generosity of our community and the important work made possible when businesses, volunteers, donors, and nonprofit organizations come together.

Photo caption: Rita Palma, Executive Director of Hawaiʻi Island Home for Recovery, joins the Rotary Club of Hilo for a presentation recognizing financial support made possible through Hilo Brewfest, October 30, 2026.

Go Cook ʻUm — Volunteers Making a Difference

Through our ongoing Go Cook ʻUm activities, Rotary members support community partners by preparing meals and contributing their time and energy.

These volunteer experiences reflect the practical ways our members help care for people in need while building friendships and strengthening community partnerships.

Week of Oct 5th Go Cook ʻUm - Rotarians served up pork and beans with a side of aloha for this week’s homemade lunch at the Hawai’i Island Home for Recovery. 

Continuing Our Community Impact

As our work with HIHR continues, we'll share photographs, volunteer experiences, and stories showing how Rotary members and community partners are helping make a difference throughout the year.

Who Benefits?

Individuals Experiencing Homelessness: Access to housing assistance, individualized support, and resources that can help create a more stable future.

Families: Support that can help households move toward greater security, financial independence, and long-term well-being.

Our Island Community: Stronger community partnerships and programs that help address homelessness and its related challenges.

Our Rotary Volunteers: Opportunities to serve directly, better understand community needs, and experience the rewards of helping others.

Our Community Partners: Volunteer participation, financial support, and stronger connections that can help local nonprofits carry out their missions.

Be Part of the Difference

Meaningful community change happens when people come together with compassion, resources, and a willingness to help.

Whether preparing meals through Go Cook ʻUm, supporting Hilo Brewfest, volunteering, or learning more about the challenges facing our neighbors, there are many ways to contribute.

At the Rotary Club of Hilo, we believe service begins with recognizing the needs of others and finding ways to make a positive difference.

Together, we can help create opportunities for greater stability, independence, and hope — right here on Hawaiʻi Island.

Rotary Club of Hilo — Community Service: Helping Our Neighbors, Strengthening Our Community.