Department of Hawaiian Home Lands beneficiaries and waitlisters who have been financially affected by COVID-19 are being offered the opportunity to receive financial assistance of up to $500 as a result of $60,000 in funding by Helping Hands Hawaii.

Through its funding, HHH hopes to help a little over 100 Native Hawaiians by covering urgent expenses such as rent, mortgage, child care or car registrations, according to a news release.

“The need is everywhere,” said Kristine Garabiles, Helping Hands Hawaii’s program manager. “Just getting back on their feet — some people are still figuring that out.”

HHH is welcoming beneficiaries and waitlisters to apply for the financial assistance by completing a questionnaire on its website.

Once the application is filled out, the person’s beneficiary or waitlister status is confirmed, and the need for economic hardship due to the pandemic is verified. The person then will be asked to submit documents depending on the financial assistance that person will receive. After the documents are verified, HHH submits the necessary payments directly to the biller.

While the maximum amount a recipient can receive is $500, the amount could be less depending on the type of assistance the person is requesting, Garabiles said.

The $60,000 funding must be distributed before HHH’s contract with DHHL expires July 31. However, if the funds aren’t spent by then, there is a chance it could be extended, she said.

Garabiles stressed the importance of updating one’s information with DHHL since it could prevent the person from receiving financial assistance.

“If DHHL were to call them because something is available for them and they can’t get to them because their address changed, that’s kind of like a missed opportunity,” Garabiles said. “I would hate for anybody to miss it because they didn’t get to update their info.”

Partnering with DHHL for these efforts also was a way to introduce Native Hawaiians to other helpful serv­ices that HHH offers, including more than 150 social service providers with which it has partnered to help those in need.

Although there are many programs that provide financial aid, Garabiles hopes HHH’s grant reaches those who might be struggling to ask for help. By covering the more pressing bills, people can focus their attention on bigger expenses and get back on their feet sooner, she said.

DHHL beneficiaries or waitlisters may apply for financial assistance by filling out the questionnaire at HHH’s website at bit.ly/3evchML.

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Linsey Dower covers ethnic and cultural affairs and is a corps member of Report for America, a national service organization that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues and communities.