Hawai‘i Ag and Culinary Alliance Receives Donation from UHA Health Insurance

Non-profit organization is awarded $25,000 to support local culinary, ag industries

Honolulu, HI (March 17, 2022) – The nonprofit Hawai‘i Ag and Culinary Alliance announced today that it is the recipient of $25,000 from UHA Health Insurance (UHA).

The donation will support the organization’s ongoing programs like its Mālama ʻĀina program, which promotes culinary arts, agriculture, environmental stewardship, culture and education in Hawai‘i.

Mālama ʻĀina was introduced at the 2021 Hawai‘i Food & Wine Festival to further educate participating talent and attendees about where these ingredients are sourced and sustainability. It supported Mālama Hawai‘i – the Hawaiʻi Visitor and Convention Bureau’s and Hawai‘i Tourism Authority’s initiative – to attract more mindful visitors and provide them with the opportunity to work the lands as their ho‘okupu or gift back to Hawai‘i for their time spent enjoying our islands.

“We would like to thank UHA Health Insurance for their generous contribution that will continue to support our local culinary industries and agricultural stewards in Hawai‘i,” said Denise Yamaguchi, founder of Hawai‘i Ag and Culinary Alliance.

“As a physician-founded organization, we know that access to nutritious, locally grown food is critical to each of us as individuals, but also essential for the overall health of our entire community,” explained Howard Lee, UHA president and chief executive officer. “We believe that the Hawai‘i Ag and Culinary Alliance is having a measurable impact on sustaining local agriculture through its educational programs and grants to other nonprofits that promote food production, the protection of ag lands and environmental sustainability.”

UHA’s gift to the Hawai‘i Ag and Culinary Alliance continues to commemorate the 25^th anniversary of its founding in October 1996.

About UHA Health Insurance
UHA Health Insurance provides medical, drug and vision plans to nearly 4,300 Hawai‘i employer groups and approximately 57,000 members. As the only health plan in Hawai‘i founded by physicians, it was the first to offer preventive and wellness care focused health plans in the state. It continues to be physician led and now offers the largest physician network in Hawai‘i. By meeting strict quality standards to ensure clinically sound decision-making that respects the rights of patients and medical providers, UHA received accreditation in Health Utilization Management through URAC, the independent non-profit that promotes healthcare quality. For information, visit uhahealth.com or follow @uhahealth on Twitter.

About Hawai‘i Ag and Culinary Alliance
The Hawai‘i Ag and Culinary Alliance (HACA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that supports programs to promote culinary arts, agriculture, environmental stewardship and sustainability, culture and education in Hawaiʻi. The Hawai‘i Food & Wine Festival is its most widely known program. Other organizations it has supported include the Kokua Restaurant Workers Fund, Hawai‘i Agricultural Foundation, Papahana Kualoa, Paepae o He‘eia, University of Hawai‘i Community College Culinary Arts Program and others.

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