Linda Uehara of Mililani won a 2009 Symetra Community Champion award from the Symetra Financial Corp., based in Bellevue, Wash.

Uehara previously won the 2007 President's Volunteer Service Award and the Hawaii Medical Services Association's 2006 Ola Pono Award for her work with the Hawaii Girls Court. A retired public school teacher, Uehara has worked in the state Department of Education's Homeless Children and Youth Program, and she helped create PLUS (Parents Learning and Understanding for Success) for homeless parents.

Prevent Child Abuse Hawaii was awarded $18,000 by the Hawaii Medical Service Association Foundation so it can organize a statewide conference for professionals and parents to discuss the prevention of child abuse and neglect.