Lead Gift to Stronger Families Fund Will Support CFS Family Centers Statewide

(L to R) The Clarence T.C. Ching Foundation Trustee Bob Fujioka, Foundation Chairman Jack Tsui, CFS President and CEO Howard Garval, Foundation Executive Director Tertia Freas and CFS Chief Program Officer Karen Tan.

Child & Family Service (CFS) announced today that The Clarence T.C. Ching Foundation has awarded a grant of $100,000 to the CFS Stronger Families Fund to strengthen the services provided through the nonprofit’s Family Centers and reach more at-risk individuals and families throughout the state.

CFS President & CEO Howard Garval said that the generous donation from the Foundation is vital to helping CFS to meet some of the most pressing needs of Hawaii families. “We are extremely grateful and humbled to have the support of The Clarence T.C. Ching Foundation,” Garval said.

Tertia Freas, Executive Director of The Clarence T.C. Ching Foundation, said that this gift “reflects the commitment of the Foundation to care for the people in Hawaii that need assistance”.

Garval said that CFS Family Centers are designed to be a natural draw for those who are in crisis and face serious challenges such as poverty, homelessness, and family violence.“Often a person will come to our Family Centers to address a basic need such as food, clothing and shelter. Once we help with that need, our service professionals can then address the underlying social issues of the individual and of his or her family.”

Garval said that CFS is strategically investing the donated funds in each CFS Family Center, making them as family-friendly and accessible as possible. We hope to continue enhancing the Family Centers that we currently operate to create welcoming, non-institutional environments that help families feel at ease when they walk through the doors and reduce the stigma of seeking help,” he said.

“We will also be able to enhance our evidence-based services that help individuals to move from being needy to being needed; and we can increase our outreach to provide services to individuals and families who are isolated or do not have transportation to receive services at our Family Centers.
“The Clarence T.C. Ching Foundation gift has been instrumental in building the momentum for this initiative, and we are thankful for this lead gift to strengthen families in our community,” Garval said.

Garval noted that CFS pioneered the concept of Family Centers more than 20 years ago with the founding of Nana’s House on Kauai. Since that time, the nonprofit has established the family center concept on Oahu, Maui, Molokai and Hawaii Island.

“CFS has a family-centered approach to providing social services,” he said. “This means we look at the immediate needs and long-term goals of the entire family. This approach strengthens families as a unit so that they can rely on one another, and work together to build healthy lives.”