One reward of giving back to the community is affecting others in a positive way. Another is connection, says Mitch Yokoyama, general manager of Hokulani Waikīkī, a Hilton Grand Vacations Club.
“We’ve been doing a lot in the community, and we get to see the impact” he told Aloha State Daily. “Of course, you can help from the office but being able to see in-person some of the small improvements you helped make. It’s just a very big reward for us all.”
Yokoyama, who has been with the global hospitality company for 25 years, said employees ranging from entry-level to executive roles can opt-in to HGV Serves, a corporate social responsibility program that launched nationwide in 2019. The program gives back to organizations addressing homelessness, environmental stewardship, youth development and more.
Last year, HGV — which operates 13 resorts across the Islands — contributed more than $221,000 in monetary and in‑kind donations, along with volunteer support, to 33 nonprofits statewide as part of the program. Some organizations that benefited include Waikīkī Community Center, Boys & Girls Club of Hawaiʻi, Mālama Maunalua, Genki Ala Wai Project, Institute for Human Services, among others.
“It’s a very big part of our culture that reflects our commitment to supporting communities where we live and work,” Yokoyama said.
HGV Serves volunteers recently lent a hand on a Honolulu Habitat home build in Waimānalo, where a local family is expected to move into by June. They also presented a $5,000 check.
Yokoyama adds: “Habitat is improving housing stability that helps local families. So, our efforts are being passed onto a family, which makes me feel like I better give it my best. Being a part of this, gathering in one place to work hard and have fun, is a good way to get to know each other better and create a network of community.”
His advice to those looking to give back? “It’s one of those things that really makes a positive impact that may be remembered to generations. … There’s a big gain in helping each other out, especially on a small island.”
Honolulu Habitat staff spotlight
On site at the Honolulu Habitat build days is Feta Petelo, who in February became the nonprofit's volunteer coordinator. She was also new Executive Director Melissa Bruhl’s first hire.
At a recent build day ASD participated in, Feta Petelo recalled going into work at a young age with her mother, Shana Petelo, who now serves as the homeowner service manager and qualified loan originator. The pair make up half of Honolulu Habitat’s paid staff members.
“I got attached to the mission and made Honolulu Habitat my career,” Feta Petelo said, adding that working in the office now alongside her mom is a “full circle moment.”
After obtaining her associate’s degree, Feta Petelo worked for a year as a retail associate for Honolulu Habitat’s former ReStore, which sold gently used home goods and materials for supplemental revenue. She later worked at Pacific Air Cargo through AmeriCorps, which contracts with Habitat for Humanity to increase capacity on projects.
“That industry (freight/logistics) humbled me, and I missed interacting with people,” she noted. “Habitat work is very fulfilling. It happened in God’s timing, me coming back. And now that I’m here, I’m exactly where I need to be. It’s a privilege to do what I love with a new team.”
Feta Petelo describes her role as coordinating with volunteers and getting the word out about volunteer opportunities. Click here to become a volunteer.
One goal is to introduce more “impact events” that bring the community together, she noted.
Born and raised on Oʻahu, Shana Petelo first joined Honolulu Habitat in 2013 as an office manager. She was working for an escrow company at the time and was introduced to the nonprofit by a former colleague.
“Genie Brown was the executive director then and we had a staff of about eight to 10 people, located in the ReStore warehouse,” she said. “It opened my eyes to Hawaiʻi’s housing crisis. ... When Jim Murphy took over, we were completing six homes on a cul-de-sac in Waimānalo. That was a lot at one time.”
In that role, Shana Petelo helped write grants and built relationships with The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, among other partners, and local homeowners. She left briefly to open a sandwich shop in ʻAiea with Feta Petelo and her late fiancé before returning to Honolulu Habitat as its family service coordinator underneath TJ Joseph, who served as CEO from October 2022 to April 2024.
“Before I left, we were building her home in that cul-de-sac, so we ended up creating a friendship along the way,” Shana Petelo said. “God has blessed me with this opportunity, where I took it as my calling and purpose to serve families, going through the whole journey and process with them. I treat the families as if they were my own.”
The main goal is to help them “achieve an affordable mortgage,” she said, which is accomplished through grants including DHHL’s federal NAHASDA funds — specifically the Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grant — and Office of Hawaiian Affairs, among others.
“My long-term goal is to build our home build capacity, and increase funding for our revolving construction fund and critical home repairs. Iʻm hoping that there will be more funding available for low-income families.”
When asked what itʻs like working with her daughter, Shana Petelo adds, “I love working with Feta ... and I believe everything happens for a reason.”
In addition to Honolulu, Habitat for Humanity affiliates serve ʻohana on Leeward Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi Island, Maui and Kauaʻi.
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Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros can be reached at kelsey@alohastatedaily.com.
