Inspired by the resilient spirit of Kalihi, The Roots Program of Kōkua Kalihi Valley Comprehensive Family Services, brings together community wellbeing and wholeness through the growing, preparing and sharing of culturally grounded food, stories and traditions.

Food is powerful. By preparing and sharing food, we strengthen the roots that connect us to the land, the sea, our cultures, our community, our family, and each other. The Roots Project strives to improve the social, physical, and mental health of the people of Kalihi Valley, through three key means:

Grow

At Hoʻoulu ʻĀina Nature Preserve in the back of Kalihi Valley, community volunteers and visitors can become mahi ʻāina, farmers of the land, by working in our community garden. Volunteers have the opportunity to participate in all phases of land stewardship, from agroforestry to growing and maintaining a garden organically. Working side by side, community members forge an intimate relationship with the land, their food, and each other as they care for growing things all the way from ʻāina to table.

Prepare

Roots support the community coming together to work with food and medicinal plants. Whether in the garden-side kitchen at Hoʻoulu ʻĀina, the commercial community kitchen at the KKV Health Center, Kalihi schools, and partner sites, diverse people of all ages and backgrounds can harvest and prepare food as a group. Hoʻoulu, a full kitchen creates a happy, connected community.

With so many rich traditions to draw upon, Kalihi Valley has abundant cultural knowledge to share. Roots know that by working together on the land and sharing 'āina knowledge, as well as preparing and enjoying meals together, people can express important parts of their heritage and life experiences, even as they learn about the experiences of others. People leave these shared activities with expanded minds, satisfied bellies, and a deeper connection to the land. These social connections help to strengthen the health of our community. With a grounding in Hawaiian values and practices, we celebrate the bright array of traditions of Kalihi Valley to understand the things we share in common.