Watch | Impact in Action: How KEY Project Uses Findhelp Data to Address Community Needs
KEY Project, a grassroots community center in Koʻolaupoko, Oʻahu, has stood at the heart of its community since 1968, offering essential services, belonging, dignity, and connection. It’s a safe place where people can find food assistance, youth programs, cultural education, and, perhaps most importantly, a sense of home. With Findhelp data, KEY Project is bridging gaps—connecting their community to resources and to each other, like the thousands of other organizations that are part of our network.
In this post, you’ll learn:
KEY Project’s story
The impact they’re having on underserved Hawaiian communities
How they make data-driven decisions using Findhelp’s analytics
Kualoa-Heʻeia Ecumenical Youth (KEY) Project
The mission of KEY Project is to nurture the well-being of people and ʻāina (land). Their programming supports, serves, and sustains their Hawaiian communities. Founded in 1968 through the efforts of churches, community residents, and social service agencies, KEY Project is a civic center providing and connecting their community to resources and to each other.
KEY Project’s pillar programs:
- Youth Program | Offers out-of-school intersession activities, as well as year-round educational, cultural, and social opportunities.
- Kūpuna Program | Promotes socialization, culture, exercise, and access to healthy foods for seniors ages 50 and over, through a variety of events and activities.
- Living Library | Dedicated to preserving the past, capturing the present and educating for the future community through digital images, video, and audio stories of resilience from neighbors.
The challenge: Understanding community needs
Many local families, especially Native Hawaiians, struggle against the pressures of an extremely high cost of living, housing scarcity, and cultural displacement.
- Reliance on Imports | What was once a sustainable island economy now relies on imported goods. Nearly 90% of food is shipped in from elsewhere, according to the University of Hawai’i.
- Cost of Living | The cost of living index for Hawai‘i far exceeds any other state, according to the World Population Review. It’s almost 30% higher than that of Massachusetts and California, the second- and third-most expensive states to live in.
“We’re not in this for the money. We’re here to help the people who we care about the most. This is the place that I grew up in. And there’s nothing more that I would rather do than to serve my community.”
Keilee Simms
Kūpuna Program Coordinator, KEY Project
Using data to drive expansion
KEY Project started using Findhelp to understand the trends in the communities they serve:
- Which social needs are the most prevalent in each community?
- What resource gaps need to be filled?
- How can KEY Project help?
Based on Findhelp’s analytics tools, KEY Project identified a need for an additional food pantry in Kahuku. As a result of this new location, nearly 800 additional households received food in 2024.
“The coolest thing about Findhelp is that you can see what people are searching for, which is perfect because we are able to utilize that data to gather the information that’s needed to apply for grants to get more funding to be able to serve a community’s needs. We hear a lot about what is needed and what community members like and want… [but] it’s hard to make a good case for it if you don’t have the data.”
Desiree Martinez
Community Development Coordinator, KEY Project
Impact in action: Food pantry expansion serves 800 households
Our Impact in Action video series explores stories of how our customers successfully partner with Findhelp to positively impact their communities and support the populations they serve.
Watch the short video below to see how KEY Project is using aggregate search data from Findhelp to inform their decisions and expand the impact of their food bank programs.
Kīpuka documentary: How KEY Project provides belonging
KEY Project is also the subject of our newest Findhelp Films documentary, Kīupka. In the face of soaring costs and rapid development, the community center offers more than services — it offers belonging. Through the voices of youth, elders, and community leaders, the film reveals a deeper truth: Hawai‘i’s real beauty lies not just in its landscapes, but in the resilience of its people and their commitment to protecting land, culture, and community.
As Native Hawaiian families struggle to stay rooted in their homeland, Kīpuka becomes a powerful reminder that true sustainability is built on relationships, responsibility, and the enduring spirit of aloha.
Partner with us to address community needs
If you’d like to learn more about how we partner with community-based organizations and customers nationwide and can help you build or expand your social care strategy, connect with us.
