Sign-wavers lined Kilauea Avenue in Hilo this week to draw attention to the need for stronger efforts to prevent domestic violence. It’s a serious problem in East Hawaii, where the number of domestic violence cases handled by Child & Family Service (CFS) Hilo has been on the rise. The agency served 2,412 people in domestic violence programs in fiscal year 2024, up from 2,123 in 2022.

Homelessness is also a risk for survivors and their children in East Hawaii; because affordable permanent housing is unavailable for more than two-thirds of those who’ve sought shelter, CFS Hilo reports. The agency is now planning its first kauhale community of 16 homes for families and single adults.