The Arc of Hilo was one of four recipients of the Bank of Hawaii Monty Richards Community Award. The Arc of Hilo was one of four recipients of the Bank of Hawaii Monty Richards Community Award. ADVERTISING As the only
The Arc of Hilo was one of four recipients of the Bank of Hawaii Monty Richards Community Award.
As the only nonprofit selected from East Hawaii, the Arc remains the islands’ No. 1 job creator for low income individuals with systematic and/or personal barriers to employment and self-sufficiency.
The $5,000 grant was allocated to purchase new yard equipment, including backpack and hand-held leaf blowers, weed whackers, hedge trimmers, mowers and an equipment trailer, to be used by the Commercial Yard Service Department employees. The Arc of Hilo competes for private, county, state and federal contracts to supply services to a variety of entities.
Ken Cordrey, the Arc’s commercial services manager, said that “with the new equipment, the Arc is poised to broaden the contracted yard services it provides our business clients, reduce overtime and double the number of trained workers with disabilities. Job creation removes people with disabilities from public assistance, helping them to become tax-paying contributors to our state, and attain a higher sense of self-worth, resulting in improved health and reduced depression.”
The Arc’s other in-house business services include a commercial laundry, janitorial, building maintenance, and the Boiling Pots greenhouse/plant nursery.
On behalf of the Board of Directors, the staff and clients, of the Arc of Hilo extends a warm “Mahalo nui loa’’ to the Bank of Hawaii and the Monty Richards Award Committee for supporting its efforts to promote the growth of our innovative and entrepreneurial organization, while raising the level of awareness to empower and employ the less fortunate.
