Sponsored by Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines believes in giving back to the community and always doing the right thing. That’s why from October 11-19, the airline is celebrating a “Week of LIFT,” as a companywide way of giving back. During the week, Alaska employees will engage in communities they serve across their network with 12 hands-on company-coordinated projects. In Honolulu, Alaska is partnering with Kupu and its Hawaii Youth Conservation Corps (HYCC) Community Program and Culinary Program youth participants to prepare and cook 500 laulau, which will be delivered to the Next Step Shelter to feed homeless clients.
Kupu, which means “to sprout” or “to grow” in Hawaiian, aims to preserve the land while empowering youth. The organization provides hands-on training in conservation, sustainability and environmental education for young adults, with the goal of fostering the next generation of environmental and cultural stewards. Kupu affirms the Hawaiian notion of “ma ka hana ka ʻike” or “in working one learns.” This approach has led to the creation of hundreds of internships and service-learning opportunities that blend vocational training and green leadership development to support more than 100 partner sites across Hawaii and the Pacific region.
“Kupu’s work is what makes our community sustainable – by inspiring and equipping young people to connect to careers and create strong futures for themselves,” says Daniel Chun with Alaska Airlines. “Also, as a part of this project, Alaska is pleased to donate $10,000 to Kupu to support their Hawaii Youth Sustainability Challenge – a program that empowers Hawaii’s youth to create solutions to conservation and sustainability challenges in their schools and communities.”
This isn’t the first time Alaska has worked with Kupu. In 2015, Alaska committed to support Kupu’s effort to create the Ho’okupu Center — a place where Kupu programs develop Hawaii’s next generation of environmental stewards. The center’s aim is to move Hawaii toward a more resilient and pono future by engaging its youth members and the broader community in service and ‘āina-based education.
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In 2017, as part of Alaska’s 10th anniversary in Hawaii, Kupu was honored to be one of 10 community partners that were recognized during the celebration festivities and was presented with a $10,000 grant from the Alaska Airlines Foundation.
“From the beginning, serving people and our communities has defined us, whether by volunteer work, uplifting employees, investing in the environment or encouraging young people to imagine what’s possible,” Chun says. “Our connections to the places and people where we fly is important and personally rewarding – it’s all part of being a sustainable company and a good member of our community.”
For more information: alaskaair.com, blog.alaskaair.com, Instagram: @AlaskaAir