The Hawaii People's Fund and Hawaii Community Foundation recently announced that grants totaling $39,500 were awarded to five local community-based groups.

“;Hawaii People's Fund is working toward building a future for Hawaii based on fairness, compassion and inclusion,”; said program coordinator Richard Rodrigues. “;We are a grass-roots organization working for social change throughout Hawaii.”;

Grantees for spring 2009 include Hawaii SEED, He Ola Hou o ke Kumu Niu, Mental Health America of Hawaii, PHOCUSED and 808 Urban.

Five other groups also received grants from the Hawaii's People's Fund totaling $3,000 to support their time-sensitive efforts.

These organizations include Friends of Sabeel, Ka Honua Momona, Life of the Land, People-Centered Development Forum and Statehood Hawaii.

More information is available in the Hawaii People's Fund's Summer 2009 newsletter, posted at www.hawaiipeoplesfund.org.