Walking Together: How One Connection Became a Community Lifeline

When Catherine Ngo and Nestor Ugale first connected in Lahaina in January 2024 – just months after the devastating wildfires – a profound bond began to form, rooted in shared kuleana and the values of Hawai‘i’s Soul. Their meeting was no accident. As Catherine recalls,

“I first met Nestor through Rediscovering Hawai‘i’s Soul on a paired walk and was inspired by his passion and bold vision to create a better future for Filipinos on Maui and throughout Hawai‘i. That became the beginning of a long and meaningful partnership that includes workforce development and moving forward, together.”

From that initial encounter, Catherine, Chairman Emeritus (former President & CEO) of Central Pacific Bank, became more than a supporter – she became a steadfast ally. “Not only did she commit from the beginning,” Nestor reflects, “but she’s committed to our success for years to come.”

That steadfast presence quickly became a catalyst for tangible transformation. With Catherine’s mentorship and support, Kaibigan ng, a grassroots Lahaina organization, secured a pivotal $1.6 million grant from the Hawai‘i Community Foundation.

More than just financial aid, the grant was a lifeline – making it possible for the organization to take root and launch vital programs that provided families with timely, compassionate support, especially as traditional systems were strained and federal resources dwindled.

In the first twelve months of Kaibigan’s operational disaster recovery work, their Sawali program evolved from recovery navigation into an active case management hub. In that short span, Kaibigan made over 1,500 contacts with wildfire survivors, provided ongoing support to 64 designated case management clients, and built a working database of 400 families affected by the 2023 wildfires — ensuring community members didn’t fall through the cracks during the long road to recovery.
The impact became real in people’s daily lives. Kaibigan’s case managers successfully secured $1,086,890 in direct assistance through their programs and partners — helping families access critical support ranging from immediate financial relief to navigating SBA loan applications, home insurance questions, and individual grants. Just as importantly, Kaibigan worked to meet recovery needs with cultural understanding and dignity: they continued serving 41 individuals through culturally competent mental health services with Filipino providers, and through the Padigo Project, distributed over 2,500 boxes of food to Lahaina families — small comforts that carried deep meaning in a time of upheaval.
Catherine and Nestor’s relationship deepened through continued, hands-on engagement. At the second annual Lahaina Palengke Night – a vibrant celebration of Filipino heritage and economic resilience – CPB fully funded the event and mobilized 20 local staff as volunteers. By waiving vendor fees, the gathering became a powerful expression of economic solidarity, uplifting a community still healing through the unifying forces of culture and pride.

For Nestor, this collaboration sparked a powerful shift: “Connecting with Catherine Ngo through RHS helped me reshape my understanding about the potential resources and support for initiatives and ideas that we, at a grassroots level, have been working toward. Her genuine care and action have given me, and many others, a sense of hope and promise that real change can happen for hard-working Filipino families.”

That hope is also showing up in pathways forward. Kaibigan invested in workforce and education by awarding 11 sponsorships covering $1,200 training costs for community members pursuing Certified Nursing Assistant and Phlebotomy programs, and providing five $1,500 college scholarships — while also hiring three summer interns, helping build leadership and opportunity within the community itself.

As both leaders attest, what started as a chance meeting has flourished into a living example of community-led impact.

“It’s not just the funding,” Nestor emphasizes. “It’s the doors she helped open, the guidance, the relationships. That’s the story.”

Catherine and Nestor’s relationship deepened through continued, hands-on engagement. At the second annual Lahaina Palengke Night – a vibrant celebration of Filipino heritage and economic resilience – CPB fully funded the event and mobilized 20 local staff as volunteers. By waiving vendor fees, the gathering became a powerful expression of economic solidarity, uplifting a community still healing through the unifying forces of culture and pride.

For Nestor, this collaboration sparked a powerful shift: “Connecting with Catherine Ngo through RHS helped me reshape my understanding about the potential resources and support for initiatives and ideas that we, at a grassroots level, have been working toward. Her genuine care and action have given me, and many others, a sense of hope and promise that real change can happen for hard-working Filipino families.”

That hope is also showing up in pathways forward. Kaibigan invested in workforce and education by awarding 11 sponsorships covering $1,200 training costs for community members pursuing Certified Nursing Assistant and Phlebotomy programs, and providing five $1,500 college scholarships — while also hiring three summer interns, helping build leadership and opportunity within the community itself.

As both leaders attest, what started as a chance meeting has flourished into a living example of community-led impact. “It’s not just the funding,” Nestor emphasizes. “It’s the doors she helped open, the guidance, the relationships. That’s the story.”

And in late 2025, another door opened — one rooted in ʻāina, community, and long-term healing. Catherine helped facilitate a connection between Kaibigan and Maui Land & Pineapple, leading to the opportunity to steward a seven-acre parcel in West Maui called Kawili. Inspired by plantation-era values, Kawili is envisioned as a community farm centered on connection, education, and agriculture. With Nestor helping drive the vision forward, the promise of land access is becoming a shared community resource — a welcoming place for West Maui residents to farm, learn, gather, and rebuild a sense of belonging, while returning to cultural and community roots through the restorative work of growing food together.

Indeed, this is Hawai‘i’s Soul in action: courageous leadership, reciprocal relationships, and community-rooted trust driving forward bold, meaningful change – together.